The Issue:

• Nearly 35 million Americans are age 65 and over. Over the next 40 years, the number of people age 65 and older is expected to double and the number of people age 85 and older is expected to triple. Three in five people in this age group are women. The growth of minority elders is expected to exceed that of Caucasians over the next 50 years
• By the year 2030, the number of older adults with mental disorders will more than double from an estimated 7 to 15 million individuals (Jeste, et.al., 1999)
• One in four older adults has a significant mental disorder (26.3%) including 16.3% with a primary psychiatric illness, 3% with dementia complicated by significant psychiatric symptoms, and 7% with uncomplicated dementia (Jeste et al., 1999).
• White males older than age 85 have the highest rates of suicide in the U.S -- six times that of the general U.S. population, and depression is its foremost risk factor (NIMH, 2007) .
• Mental disorders in older persons are associated with adverse health outcomes including poorer functioning, increased morbidity and mortality, and increased rise of institutionalization (SAMHSA, 2007).

How Geropsychologists Can Help By:

• Given the often complex mental and physical health problems of older adults, health care providers and families often turn to geropsychologists for their skills in neuropsychological and other assessments
• Assessing and differentiating between mental disorders such as dementia, depression, anxiety, delirium and adjustment reactions
• Determining a person’s capacity to make medical and legal decisions.
• Using behaviorally-based treatments to address mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.
• Assisting older adults in coping with the psychological and emotional consequences of illness, loss of loved ones, relocation to new living situations, and care giving demands.
• Addressing behavioral health issues, such as pain, insomnia, substance abuse, urinary incontinence, management of chronic conditions, that significantly impact the quality of life of older adults, their families and caregivers.

The shortage:

• According to The Action Plan for Behavioral Health Workforce Development (SAMHSA, 2007), there is an insufficient supply of trained professionals available to provide mental and behavioral health services to older adults. This shortage will become more dire as the aging population grows and the demand for specialized mental and behavioral health services increases.
• Only 3% of practicing psychologists viewed older adults as their primary professional target. The best estimate of currently practicing geropsychologists – 700, falls far short of the current need for 5,000 to 7,500 geropsychologists (Qualls, 2002).
• While the demand for psychologists in general appears likely to balance with supply, there is a shortage of trained geropsychologists (SAMHSA, 2007)

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