Seeking psychiatric help needn't be a cause for shame or embarrassment, say experts in aging. As America continues to get grayer, much research is looking at ways to increase seniors' quality of life through physical means, such as weight-resistance training and Tai Chi. But a growing group of professionals are concerned for the mental health of seniors and the question of who will care for them if they develop a psychiatric condition. We are also better able to define, diagnose, and describe psychiatric disorders including dementias, depression, and delirium. The most common disorders are anxiety, impaired thinking ability, and mood disorders.
Several studies show that mental disorders in older adults are underdiagnosed.
Alarmingly, those who do have psychiatric conditions often don't receive treatment. A 1997 study from the National Institutes of Mental Health found that only half of older adults who acknowledge mental health problems receive treatment from any healthcare provider, and only a fraction of them receive specialty mental health services. Most receive mental health care from their primary care physicians. Most will do just fine with a generalist. But we are not training enough specialists.