Serving the mental health needs of the elderly: The case for removing barriers and improving service integration

1980 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 263-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Eve Hagebak ◽  
Beaumont R. Hagebak
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Service Integration ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Needs

scholarly journals Potential predictors of unmet health needs among the elderly: a population-based study in Serbia

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Šantrić Milićević ◽  
M Kostadinović ◽  
D Nikolić ◽  
J Todorovic ◽  
Z Terzic-Supic
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Wealth Index ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Personal Care ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Unmet Health Needs ◽  
Unmet Mental Health

Abstract Background This study assessed the prevalence of unmet health needs of the elderly and the associated factors regarding socioeconomic, health and functional status. Methods A secondary analysis of the 2013 National Health Survey data was conducted on a representative sample of 3540 persons aged sixty-five and older (the lowest response rate was 99.7%). Participants characteristics such as socioeconomic status, health self-perception, diagnosed chronic disease, physical functional limitations, performing essential daily activities in the home and daily personal care were explored with logistic regression analysis (Odds Ratio - OR and 95% Confidence Interval) in relation to five aspects of unmet health needs. Results 15.8% participants had unmet health needs due to the long waiting times, 16.1%, had unmet needs for medical care, 17.7% for dental care, 15.2% for drugs prescription and 96.9% participants for mental health care. Common predictors exist for medical, dental drug prescription and due to long waiting times unmet needs including older age years, middle education, rural residence, lower wealth index, single persons, with average or bad self-perceived health, chronic disease and difficult daily performance of personal care and of home activities. Unmet mental health needs by 61% less likely had participants with average wealth index, while a greater likelihood had participants with average and bad self-perceived health by 3.7 times and 8.4 times (p = 0.035, p = 0.001) respectively, by 6.2 times those with difficulties (p < 0.001) and by 5.9 times unable (p = 0.045) to perform daily activities of personal care and by 1.7 times those with difficulties (p = 0.037) to perform home activities. Conclusions Unmet health needs reported less than 20% of the elderly but almost all have unmet mental health needs. Unmet health needs are associated with negative health outcomes, age, low education level, single persons, rural settings, poorer households, and limited daily activities. Key messages Unmet mental health needs of the elderly are an extremely important problem for the health system and healthy ageing in Serbia. A strong association of unmet health needs of old, low educated elderly without partners, from rural settings and poor households with health and functional outcomes, requires responsive policies.

Responding to Mental Health Needs of the Elderly in Rural Areas:

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 69-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Coen Buckwalter ◽  
Hermine McLeran ◽  
Susan Mitchell ◽  
Patricia H. Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Needs

Mental Health Needs of the Elderly Vary by Setting

1993 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan W. Lehmann ◽  
Peter V. Rabins ◽  
Geetha Jayaram ◽  
Virginia Byer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Needs

Psychogeriatrics and General Practice in Australia

1997 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 205-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Brodaty ◽  
Brian M. Draper ◽  
David C. Lie
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Level Of Care ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Economic Considerations

We describe the interface between general practice and psychogeriatrics in Australia. While aged care services are complex and there are serious deficiencies in the management of the elderly, several initiatives appear set to improve the level of care. Economic considerations, mutual education of general practitioners and psychogeriatricians, and social factors are strong determinants of good primary care of the mental health needs of older people.

scholarly journals Psychogeriatric research comes of age in developing countries

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 615-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. JACOB ◽  
MARY GANGULI
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
High Quality

Psychogeriatrics and psychogeriatric research have been particularly slow to take hold in developing countries. In part this is because the elderly constitute relatively small proportions of those countries' populations, and are thus of low priority for specialized services. A recent report in Science (Miller, 2006) addresses mental health needs in developing countries worldwide but does not include old-age mental disorders other than dementia. Similarly, an article from Brazil (Garcez-Leme et al., 2005), in another international journal, provides an overview of that country's resources and needs in geriatrics, but neglects to mention mental disorders or mental health professionals. Yet, these countries are aging faster than the industrialized world and have fewer resources with which to care for their mentally ill elderly. High-quality, locally acquired information will be essential for planning appropriate mental health services.

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