Psychotherapy with older adults: benefits and barriers.
Psychotherapeutic treatments are known to be effective in older adults with mental illnesses. Depression, anxiety, and complicated bereavement must be considered psychiatric illnesses, rather than normal consequences of aging. To improve the rate of psychotherapy use among older adults, stigma surrounding psychiatric treatment, as well as misconceptions that older adults are incapable of change, must be unlearned and eliminated.
Van Etten
Deborah
D
Grimaldi Counseling, Belmont, MA 02478, USA. debvanetten@earthlink.net
D000368:Aged; D003144:Communication Barriers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000458:organization & administration