Millions of Americans aged 65+ are struggling with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or dementia, and the prevalence of depression in older adults is expected to more than double by 2050. Suicide among older Americans is also on the rise.
Unfortunately, the prevalence of mental health concerns among aging Americans does not correlate to high levels of care. Just 10 percent of older adults experiencing mental health issues get the treatment they need due to stigmas toward both mental illness and aging, a lack of specialists trained in geriatric care, high health insurance co-pays and difficulties navigating a complex health care system. This begs the question: What would age-friendly mental health care in America look like, and why is age-specific mental health support so important?
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