A report released by the Administration on Aging entitled Older Adults and Mental Health: Issues and Opportunities outlined a need for future mental health services and barriers that exist in providing these services. This report was written as a companion document to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General in 1999. According to this report, nearly 20 percent of Americans age 55 and older experience mental disorders that are not considered a "normal" part of aging. The most common disorders include anxiety disorders such as phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder, severe cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease, and mood disorders such as depression. Some of these seniors may have always lived with a mental illness but others develop disorders later in life. Bereavement and losses in older adulthood contribute to these disorders. The severity of disorders vary as individuals do so the assessment and treatment must do the same. The report revealed that mental health services must be designed to not only meet the growing needs but the uniqueness of each disorder and its severity. As the "baby boomers" reach age 65, the elderly population is expected to soar. In fact, seniors are expected to account for about 20 percent of the population in the United States by 2030.
The negative stigma so many people equate with mental illness most contributes to a person's decision not to seek treatment. Increasing awareness and education is the primary way to shatter this stigma. This report focuses on community-based services that could be used by a wide variety of senior citizens from those in good mental health to those with severe disorders. Outreach and education could be helpful to people in good mental health in helping them find healthy ways to cope when stressful situations arise.
The report looks at issues of community mental health services and challenges and opportunities providing these services. The following is a list of challenges and opportunities outlined in the report.
1) Prevention and early intervention - Current efforts concentrate more on treatment rather than prevention by determining those at greatest risk.
2) Awareness and education - The stigma surrounding mental illnesses is the biggest reason all populations fail to seek treatment and senior citizens are no exception. Destroying the stereotypes that people often equate with mental illness will help more people come foreword and seek treatment.
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