{"title":"Perceiving Greater Ageism in Barriers to Mental Healthcare Relates to Poorer Mental Health for Older Adults.","authors":"Grace I L Caskie, Mackenzie E Kirby, Eve Z Root","doi":"10.1080/07317115.2024.2425307","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Older adults underutilize mental healthcare, and ageism as a potential barrier has been under-researched. As ageism comes both from external sources and is internalized by older adults, we examined the prevalence of external and internalized ageist barriers to help-seeking and how depressive and anxiety symptoms differed based on how strongly older adults endorsed these ageist barriers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A sample of 247 older adults completed measures online to assess barriers to mental healthcare (BMHSS-R), depressive symptoms (CES-D), and anxiety symptoms (GAD-7).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Barriers representing internalized ageist stereotypes about older adult mental health were endorsed more frequently than external ageist barriers. Older adults endorsing ageist barriers to care reported significantly more depressive and anxiety symptoms than those not endorsing these barriers.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Ageism, particularly internalized beliefs that poor mental health is typical in older adulthood, was reflected in older adults' perceptions of barriers to seeking mental healthcare. Both internalized and external ageist barriers to care negatively influence well-being.</p><p><strong>Clinical implication: </strong>To support older adult mental health, clinicians should dispel inaccurate, ageist stereotypes about older adult mental health internalized by their clients and work to increase and then communicate their openness and ability to provide competent mental healthcare to older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":10376,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Gerontologist","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Clinical Gerontologist","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2024.2425307","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: Older adults underutilize mental healthcare, and ageism as a potential barrier has been under-researched. As ageism comes both from external sources and is internalized by older adults, we examined the prevalence of external and internalized ageist barriers to help-seeking and how depressive and anxiety symptoms differed based on how strongly older adults endorsed these ageist barriers.
Methods: A sample of 247 older adults completed measures online to assess barriers to mental healthcare (BMHSS-R), depressive symptoms (CES-D), and anxiety symptoms (GAD-7).
Results: Barriers representing internalized ageist stereotypes about older adult mental health were endorsed more frequently than external ageist barriers. Older adults endorsing ageist barriers to care reported significantly more depressive and anxiety symptoms than those not endorsing these barriers.
Conclusions: Ageism, particularly internalized beliefs that poor mental health is typical in older adulthood, was reflected in older adults' perceptions of barriers to seeking mental healthcare. Both internalized and external ageist barriers to care negatively influence well-being.
Clinical implication: To support older adult mental health, clinicians should dispel inaccurate, ageist stereotypes about older adult mental health internalized by their clients and work to increase and then communicate their openness and ability to provide competent mental healthcare to older adults.
期刊介绍：
Clinical Gerontologist presents original research, reviews, and clinical comments relevant to the needs of behavioral health professionals and all practitioners who work with older adults. Published in cooperation with Psychologists in Long Term Care, the journal is designed for psychologists, physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors (family, pastoral, and vocational), and other health professionals who address behavioral health concerns found in later life, including:
-adjustments to changing roles-
issues related to diversity and aging-
family caregiving-
spirituality-
cognitive and psychosocial assessment-
depression, anxiety, and PTSD-
Alzheimer’s disease and other neurocognitive disorders-
long term care-
behavioral medicine in aging-
rehabilitation and education for older adults.
Each issue provides insightful articles on current topics. Submissions are peer reviewed by content experts and selected for both scholarship and relevance to the practitioner to ensure that the articles are among the best in the field. Authors report original research and conceptual reviews. A unique column in Clinical Gerontologist is “Clinical Comments." This section features brief observations and specific suggestions from practitioners which avoid elaborate research designs or long reference lists. This section is a unique opportunity for you to learn about the valuable clinical work of your peers in a short, concise format.
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