September 9, 2015 - The aging of the population, shifting diagnostic criteria, and new health care policy initiatives are some of the factors driving changes in mental health treatment for older Americans, according to the September special issue of the Harvard Review of Psychiatry . The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer .
"Both workforce shortages and fiscal pressures have presented obstacles to caring for the behavioral needs of our elderly," according to a guest editorial by Drs. James Ellison of Christiana Care Health System, Wilmington, Del., and Brent Forester of McLean Hospital, Belmont, Mass. The special issue presents a timely update on the trends and developments leading to new directions in mental health care for older adults.
Updates on Mental Health Diagnosis and Treatment of Older Adults
Recent years have seen a phenomenal transformation in the field of geriatric psychiatry, as older adults now comprise more than 13 percent of the US population. Among other trends, the Affordable Care Act introduced measures to integrate behavioral health treatment into primary care settings, with the aim of increasing the availability and effectiveness of care.
The special issue presents seven papers by noted experts, who discuss the policy changes, new diagnostic classifications, and latest research driving change in the mental health care of older adults. Topics include:
Drs. Ellison and Forester believe their special issue will provide "both scholarly and practical information for geriatric specialists and generalists interested in the care of older adults." They conclude, "The reader of these reviews will come to appreciate how research into the pathophysiology of behavioral disorders in later life is helping to suggest more specific and effective treatment approaches and, indeed, deepening our understanding of mental health and illness throughout the life cycle."
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Click here to read this special issue.
About the Harvard Review of Psychiatry
The Harvard Review of Psychiatry is the authoritative source for scholarly reviews and perspectives on a diverse range of important topics in psychiatry. Founded by the Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry, the journal is peer-reviewed and not industry sponsored. It is the property of Harvard University and is affiliated with all of the Departments of Psychiatry at the Harvard teaching hospitals. Articles encompass all major issues in contemporary psychiatry, including (but not limited to) neuroscience, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, history of psychiatry, and ethics.
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Harvard Review of Psychiatry