According to the 2001 World Health Organization (WHO) Global Burden of Disease Study, depression is a serious public health problem among individuals, families, and societies throughout the world. The WHO estimated that depression was the fourth leading contributor to the global burden of disease in 2000, as measured by disability-adjusted life years [36]. Although depression rates are generally lower among older adults (5.4%) compared to middle-aged (9.8%) and younger (7.4%) adults, the rate among seniors in the United States has continued to rise in recent decades [37,38,39]. In addition, the reported rates of depression in the older population of the US may be underestimated. This is because depressive symptoms can be masked as physical complaints or initially appear to be cognitive impairments in this age group, moreover, the stigma of mental illness may inhibit depressed older adults from seeking treatment.