What is the psychological impact of Parkinsons disease on younger patients?
The incidence of depression is very common in Parkinson’s disease. And certainly the way Parkinson’s is going to affect the life of a younger person is going to be different than in an older person. The stress on younger patients is much more severe, simply because they’re trying to work jobs and take care of children. “I encourage my patients to work as long as they feel they can, but stress can certainly make the symptoms of Parkinson’s worse,” says Griffith. “Psychological counseling can also be a helpful outlet for them.” The other things involved are cognitive symptoms associated with Parkinson’s. People can develop problems with executive function, decision-making and judgment. Multitasking is difficult as well, so a job where you have five things to do at once can become very difficult. What advice would you give someone who’s just been diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease? Griffith recommends getting as much exercise as possible. “Walking is a good exercise,” she says
