Sections
Individual and Group Psychotherapy: Introduction | Adaptation of Existing Therapies to Older Adult Populations | Depression | Anxiety Disorders | Substance Use Disorders | Personality Disorders | Dementia | Conclusion | Key Points | References | Suggested Readings
Excerpt
Psychotherapy has been shown to be an effective treatment
for a number of mental disorders seen in older adults. As a treatment
modality it can be particularly useful for older adult psychiatric
patients who cannot or will not tolerate medication or who are dealing
with stressful conditions, interpersonal difficulties, limited levels
of social support, or recurrent episodes of the disorder. However,
it has been estimated that only 10% of older adults in
need of psychiatric services actually receive professional care,
and there has been minimal utilization of mental health services
in this age group (Lebowitz et al. 1997; Weissman et al. 1981). Older adults report a longer delay in initiation
of mental health treatment than do younger cohort groups (Wang et al. 2005). A review by Unützer et al. (2000)
reports a slight improvement in treatment rates over earlier estimates,
but a large proportion of older adults with mental disorders remain
untreated.