Emerging Elderhood: Transitions from Midlife

Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 1996

Journal of Family Psychology during an 8-year period beginning in 1986. Only 3.2% (n = 28) of these articles contained explicit emphasis on aging issues and later life family concerns. Furthermore, there was no significant trend in the number of gerontologically focused articles published during this period. The paper describes the content of the 28 agingfocused articles, including the types of presenting problems mentioned, the relational contexts of these problems, and the types of family therapy theories represented. Included in the content analysis were the proceedings of the annual national conferences of the American Association of Marital and Family Therapy from 1986 to 1993. Only 2.3% (n = 37) of the regular conference sessions had an explicit aging focus, as did 1 of the 29 plenary sessions and I of the 40 Master Series@ sessions. Used as a gauge of gerontological interest and awareness of late life issues, the implication of these findings is that the family therapy community is still engaged in "coming of age. " A significant increase in average life expectancy since the turn of the century has created a situation wherein families are faced with the challenge of balancing the needs of

Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2018

With the urgent need to increase and improve mental health care of the growing population of older adults in the United States, clinical research is warranted to further the knowledge and improve the relevant training for mental health professionals working with older adults. This study drew from two diverse clinical samples of adults ages 18 years to 80 years to examine whether and how initial clinical presentations and changes over time in individual, family-of-origin, and relational measures differed across the life span. Results indicated a variety of linear and curvilinear associations between individual, family-of-origin, and relational measures at intake and age, with some moderation by gender. There were no significant results between the amount of change on those measures and age, indicating that older adults may change in similar fashion to middle-aged and younger adults in psychotherapy. Relevant clinical implications are provided.

Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 2011

Professional Psychology: Research and …, 2009

People are living longer, and in better health, than in any prior point in history, with far-reaching but as yet underrecognized implications for mental health professionals. This phenomenon affects both the developed and the developing world. With greater numbers of older people, mental health professionals will need to develop greater awareness, understanding, and appreciation of gerontology to deliver optimally effective psychotherapy with this population. The nature of psychological issues encountered in clinical practice will also change-for example, intergenerational issues among blended families, increased retirement and leisure time, and expectations of greater health and productivity in later life from baby boomer cohorts. These issues are important for mental health professionals to recognize, as the increased sophistication of the baby boomer generation in terms of health care will lead to higher expectations of mental health care. The authors have chosen to discuss the implications of an ageing population with reference to a cognitive-behavioral perspective, but the issues raised here and practical suggestions contained within this article are not restricted to practitioners of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy.

Journal of emerging technologies and innovative research, 2020

The world's population is ageing rapidly. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's older adults is estimated to almost double from about 12% to 22%. Older adults, those aged 60 or above, make important contributions to society as family members, volunteers and as active participants in the workforce. Mental health and well-being are as important in older age as at any other time of life. Older people may experience life stressors common to all people, but also stressors that are more common in later life, like a significant ongoing loss in capacities and a decline in functional ability. In addition, older people are more likely to experience events such as bereavement, or a drop in socioeconomic status with retirement. All of these stressors can result in isolation, loneliness or psychological distress in older people, for which they may require longterm care. This research paper tries to explore mental health problems faced by older people and the stigma surrounding these conditions makes people reluctant to seek help. The increasing proportion of people growing old, demands expanded knowledge of how people can experience successful aging and the factors associated with successful aging.

This paper is based on information gathered in a structured interview. Written in 1997, the paper is based on the life-experiences of an 88 year-old woman. After a description of the interview process, a brief biography is presented. Patterns of development are interpreted in light of the life events framework as well as the life period analysis. Finally, information about life experiences in the areas of work, family, and friends are related to research current in the late 90's. The author concludes that the life-events framework is a better explanatory model in this particular scenario than the life-period analysis. Adult development is a continuing process and much important developmental work can occur in the retirement years. Names have been changed to maintain confidentiality.

Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 1998

American Journal of Psychiatry, 2000

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World Psychiatry, 2022

The world's population is aging, bringing about an ever‐greater burden of mental disorders in older adults. Given multimorbidities, the mental health care of these people and their family caregivers is labor‐intensive. At the same time, ageism is a big problem for older people, with and without mental disorders. Positive elements of aging, such as resilience, wisdom and prosocial behaviors, need to be highlighted and promoted, both to combat stigma and to help protect and improve mental health in older adults. The positive psychiatry of aging is not an oxymoron, but a scientific construct strongly informed by research evidence. We champion a broader concept of geriatric psychiatry – one that encompasses health as well as illness. In the present paper, we address these issues in the context of four disorders that are the greatest source of years lived with disability: neurocognitive disorders, major depression, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders. We emphasize the need for implementation of multidisciplinary team care, with comprehensive assessment, clinical management, intensive outreach, and coordination of mental, physical and social health services. We also underscore the need for further research into moderators and mediators of treatment response variability. Because optimal care of older adults with mental disorders is both patient‐focused and family‐centered, we call for further research into enhancing the well‐being of family caregivers. To optimize both the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy, further attention to metabolic, cardiovascular and neurological tolerability is much needed, together with further development and testing of medications that reduce the risk for suicide. At the same time, we also address positive aging and normal cognitive aging, both as an antidote to ageism and as a catalyst for change in the way we think about aging per se and late‐life mental disorders more specifically. It is in this context that we provide directions for future clinical care and research.