The continued growth of the elderly population in society has placed renewed focus on providing older adults with quality mental health care. The aging of the baby boomers in combination with research indicating that psychotherapy is effective with an older population highlights the need for those with expertise in counseling the elderly.
Full Answer
How is the aging population impacting counseling?
As the population ages, so does the counseling profession’s client (or potential client) base. And that poses a significant issue. Unless they have private resources, most adults over 65 are on Medicare and depend on this coverage when seeking physical and mental health care.
Does age matter in the therapeutic relationship?
Age Matters in the Therapeutic Relationship. A strong therapeutic bond is imperative in order to achieve a successful outcome in psychotherapy. This bond must begin with the initial intake session.
When is counselling appropriate for older adults?
Counselors must promote the idea that old age in itself is not pathological and does not necessarily require counseling. However, when symptoms increase beyond the level of the older adult’s ability to function, counseling should be an option, regardless of age. Common Presenting Concerns and Psychological Disorders
Why more research in counseling?
As we move the discipline of counseling into a season of stability, increased professionalism and sustainability, we must place greater emphasis on research in counseling. There are four primary reasons for this impetus.
What barriers exist for older adults who might benefit from seeing a therapist?
While there are well known general barriers to help seeking across the population, specific barriers for older adults include difficulties with transportation, beliefs that it is normal to be anxious and depressed in old age, and beliefs by referrers that psychological therapy is less likely to be effective.
Can you be too old for therapy?
You're Never 'Too Old' To Start Therapy. Aging changes you. It changes the way your body looks and the way it functions. It can change your role at work and in your family.
How does age affect therapy?
The data suggest that older patients are perceived as sicker, but less treatable than younger patients or patients of the same age group as the therapist. Residents express a strong preference for treating younger patients, but more readily develop a treatment relationship with same age patients.
How does age impact mental health?
There is evidence that some natural body changes associated with aging may increase a person's risk of experiencing depression. Recent studies suggest that lower concentrations of folate in the blood and nervous system may contribute to depression, mental impairment, and dementia.
What age is too late for therapy?
Psychotherapy has been found to be helpful for any age. It is never too late to start. Talking to a therapist can help support you in ageing more healthily and happily.
Is 50 too old to become a therapist?
It's Never Too Late Likewise, it is still possible for you to make your dreams a reality regardless of your age. If you have ever been on the fence about going back to school later in life, there is no better time like the present to get started.
Does age matter for a therapist?
People choose therapists for a variety of reasons. While age doesn't always factor into the decision, many patients say it matters. To make progress in therapy, you need to trust the person taking notes on you, and feel comfortable sharing private details with them.
What age group uses therapy the most?
This statistic displays the mental health treatment facilities accepting specific age groups for treatment in the U.S. in 2020. Young adults (18-25 years) were the most accepted specific age group.
Why do older adults need counseling?
Talking to a counselor can help you consider your choices and reflect on your career. It can also give you a better sense of what you want to focus on during retirement. Dealing with medical issues. As you age, you may have health issues that change the way you do things.
Do mental health issues worse with age?
Do mental health issues get worse with age? Mental illness isn't a natural part of aging. In fact, mental health disorders affect younger adults more often than the elderly, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. However, seniors are less likely to seek help.
What age group is most affected by mental health?
Prevalence of Any Mental Illness (AMI) This number represented 21.0% of all U.S. adults. The prevalence of AMI was higher among females (25.8%) than males (15.8%). Young adults aged 18-25 years had the highest prevalence of AMI (30.6%) compared to adults aged 26-49 years (25.3%) and aged 50 and older (14.5%).
Why does mental illness get worse with age?
As we get older, the way we process medications changes. We're more susceptible to side-effects such as nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite and muscle weakness. Some side-effects such as low mood, confusion and delirium can appear to be the symptoms of a mental illness, even though they're not.
What is the resistance to ageism in counseling?
Within counselor training programs, resistance to ageism begins with incorporating discussions about aging and older adulthood into the counselor education curriculum. Therefore, it is important that professional accreditation standards like CACREP adequately reflect the mental health needs of older adults and their families. In its current form, the omission of keywords like aging, older adulthood, and ageism from these standards may send a mixed signal to counselor training programs and their students about social justice and multicultural competencies as they relate to older adults.
What is the gap between mental health and older adults?
The gap between the mental health needs of older adults and the number of mental health professionals with specific training in working with older adults is on the verge of a “crisis” (Institute of Medicine, 2012, p. ix). Scholars provide a variety of explanations to account for this, including systemic factors—such as inadequate funding and a lack of training opportunities within academic programs (Bartels & Naslund, 2013; Gross & Eshbaugh, 2011; Robb, Chen, & Haley, 2002)—and personal factors, including low interest in working with older adults (Tomko, 2008) and therapeutic pessimism (Danzinger & Welfel, 2000; Helmes & Gee, 2003).
When was the term "ageism" first used?
The term “ageism” was first used in the late 1960s to describe discriminatory beliefs or practices that are predicated on the age of a person or group (Butler, 1969). Like racism or sexism, prejudice
Does ageism affect counseling?
In spite of the numerous studies indicating that ageism has detrimental effects on older adults, there are currently very few studies that demonstrate the prevalence and impact of ageism within the counseling profession. For instance, research on in-session dynamics between counselors and much older clients could shed light on the ways in which age is broached in a counseling session. Additionally, research could focus on the benefits of professional counseling for older adult clients, as well as the effectiveness of novel interventions that are grounded in counseling theories or wellness (Fullen & Gorby, 2016; Fullen et al., in press). For instance, the development and validation of a wellness-based approach to counseling older adults might mitigate mental health issues or internalized ageism among older clients (Myers & Sweeney, 2005), and it would serve as additional evidence for the necessity of adding counselors as Medicare providers.
Abstract
The present study investigated the effects of similarity between psychotherapist age and client age on client's preference for a therapist, willingness to disclose, expected therapeutic climate, and perceptions of therapist competence.
Author information
Associate Professor of Psychology at Saint Louis University, Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, 221 N. Grand Blvd., 63103, St. Louis, MO
Additional information
This research is based on a doctoral dissertation submitted by Kathleen M. Tall under the direction of Michael J. Ross to Saint Louis University.
Why is it uncomfortable for counselors to explore late in life issues with older adults?
Catherine Roland, AADA’s representative to the ACA Governing Council and editor of Adultspan Journal, says it can be very uncomfortable for some counselors to explore late-in-life issues with older adult clients because it forces counselors to confront their own mortality, which can be a difficult process.
What do career counselors do for older adults?
One important task for career counselors is to show older adult clients how to reframe their experiences and work histories to match available positions , Feller says.
What is the aging path?
As adults move through the “new aged” stage, they share similar challenges, but in certain circumstances, Moll says, the aging path really starts to diverge. Although most people who reach older adulthood have some kind of health complaint, the “well-aged” (as Moll terms them) generally have minor or manageable conditions. They may have arthritis and other wear and tear, she explains, but they are as healthy as can be expected for their age group.
What does ageist society mean?
An ageist society tends to stop seeing older adults as individuals, regardless of whether those adults are advantaged or disadvantaged, asserts Mackie, who references the idea of a “mask of aging.”
What are the common geriatric issues that a primary care provider sends to the medical school?
Primary care providers send aging adults with common geriatric issues such as dementia, depression, frequent falls and poor nutrition occurring with comorbid chronic illnesses such as obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure or diabetes to the medical school’s senior clinic for assessment.
What does Christensen say about older adults?
And when their jobs are outsourced, Christensen says, older adults often have less flexibility and fewer options.
When will the baby boomer generation turn 65?
By the time the last baby boomer turns 65 in 2029, one in five Americans will be 65 or older. By 2032, there will be more people 65 and older than the total number of children under the age of 15. These numbers are more than just statistics; they represent actual people who will be going through major life changes.
What are the important aspects of treatment for college students with mental health problems?
Finally, important aspects of treatment to consider when treating college students with mental health problems are outlined, such as the importance of including parents in the treatment, communicating with other providers, and employing of technology to increase adherence.
Why is psychopathology chronic?
Often the nature of psychopathology is chronic due to low rate of treatment seeking and low adherence to treatment.
What are the most misused medications in college?
Data suggest that the most commonly misused medications among college students include opioids, benzodiazepines (sedative/hypnotics), and amphetamine/methylphenidates (stimulants), with 5–35 % of college students having misused stimulants [60].
How many college students binge drink?
Nearly half (44 %) of college students binge drink, and one in five engages in this behavior frequently [39, 40]. Binge drinking is considered the number one public health hazard and the primary source of preventable morbidity and mortality for college students in the USA.
Is college stressful?
Attending college can be a stressful time for many students. In addition to coping with academic pressure, some students have to deal with the stressful tasks of separation and individuation from their family of origin while some may have to attend to numerous work and family responsibilities. In this context, many college students experience ...
Do college health centers have mental health?
Many students who present at college health centers have mental health problems [103]. Thus, a collaborative relationship between university health centers and behavioral health services may lead to an increase in identification and referrals for behavioral health treatments of students with mental health problems.
Why is substance abuse overlooked in counseling?
Substance abuse or dependence is often overlooked within this population because of their reduced social and occupational functioning.
What is the reaction of a counselor to a client's death?
Counselors may be aware of their reaction to client death as being a double-level experience. As humans, they may face grief, guilt, and loss similar to others who have lost a close relationship. But counselors may also be cognizant of the client’s death in terms of their special role in that person’s life.
What is transference in counseling?
Transference involves the attribution of characteristics, traits, or behaviors to a person based on ideas about who the person is reminiscent of or who he or she represents. Thus, older clients may look at a younger therapist and reflect on their own mortality, their loss of relationships or independence, or their physical impairments. They may think it impossible that someone so much younger could understand their thoughts and feelings at the later stage in life. A younger therapist may focus too much on illness or death, or may treat an older client as “grouchy” or “fragile,” or may think of the client as a “kind grandparent-like” individual. When appropriate, talking about the possibility for misperceptions can lead to fertile conversations about age and the counseling process.
What is the best treatment for psychological symptoms?
When indicated, a combination of medication and counseling can be a successful intervention for psychological symptoms. Both individual and group counseling are available for older adults seeking mental health treatment.
What is universality in counseling?
Universality. There are no single characteristics that accurately describe “older adults,” as this cohort encompasses an array of different life experiences, personality traits, and goals for counseling. Thus, counseling the elderly must begin with basic knowledge of the aging process, such as normal versus pathological aging, fact versus fiction, ...
What are the most common psychological disorders in the elderly population?
The most common psychological disorders in the elderly population include anxiety, depression, insomnia, cognitive impairment, and adjustment disorder. If an older adult is living in an assisted living facility or nursing home, the chance of experiencing these disorders increases. Each disorder has various levels of severity.
Is it possible to provide therapeutic services to older adults?
Providing therapeutic services to an older adult population has not historically been considered an option, as age and developmental status were thought to be key determinants of psychological appropriateness. This negativistic view of counseling for the elderly appears rooted in the Freudian tradition, with the assumption ...
How does ageism affect counseling?
As the number of older adults increases, it is important to understand how attitudes toward aging influence society, the aging process, and the counseling profession. Ageism—defined as social stigma associated with old age or older people—has deleterious effects on older adults’ physical health, psychological well-being, and self-perception. In spite of research indicating that the pervasiveness of ageism is growing, there are few studies, whether conceptual or empirical, related to the impact of ageism within the practice of counseling. This article includes an overview of existing literature on the prevalence and impact of ageism, systemic and practitioner-level consequences of ageism, and specific implications for the counseling profession. Discussion of how members of the counseling profession can resist ageism within the contexts of counselor education, gerontological counseling, advocacy, and future research will be addressed.
Why is it important to be a counselor?
Because of the heterogeneity of older adults, counseling services should be tailored to the. unique needs of each client. Given that ageism has the potential to inuence how older clients are. conceptualized by counselors, it is important for counselors to reect on their own beliefs about aging.
Is ageism a problem?
Ageism is a problem in aging societies. Clinical psychologists and undergraduate psychology students have shown negative attitudes toward older adults. However, no specific measure against ageist myths in the psychotherapeutic context is available. This study aims to develop and present the psychometric properties of the Ageist Myths about Psychotherapy Questionnaire (AMPQ). These issues were examined by surveying 222 psychology graduates at higher education institutions about their attitudes and behaviors concerning psychotherapy with older adults, negative stereotypes toward aging, and attitudes toward dementia. Using principal components analysis, 10 items were retained and one factor was obtained with an acceptable reliability index. Significant associations were found between the AMPQ and negative stereotypes toward aging, and attitudes toward dementia. Results revealed that universities and colleges with psychology programs have an ageist bias. Implications for college formation in aging, and older adults with mental health problems, are discussed and presented.
