Mental Health Issues in Older Adults

1
Mental Health Issues in Older Adults

• Dawn M. Zak
• Mental Health Association

2
Mental Illness is

• Mental illness is real
• Mental illness is common
• Mental illness is treatable

3
Things to Consider

• While older adults are an at-risk population,
  only 38 see depression as a health problem
• Older adults are the most likely group to tough
  it out
• 70 of older adults surveyed said they know
  little or nothing about depression or mental
  illness
• Utilize primary physician for mental health
  related care

4
Things to Consider

• Personal experiences/biases/thoughts
• Changing Demographics
• Older Americans Act

5
Normal Aging Changes

• Physical
• Sensory
• Cognitive
• Psychosocial

6
Whole Person Health
Physical Spiritual Emotional Mental Social Creati
ve
7
Responding to Mental Health Issues

• Education
• Screening tools
• PCP initiative
• Knowing resources

8
Resources

• Mental Health It's a Part of Aging
• http//www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov/action/partaging.
  htm

9
Resources

• National Mental Health Association
  
• 1-800-969-NMHA (6642) or www.nmha.org
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or www.nami.org

10
Additional Resources

• American Psychiatric Association
• 1-888-357-7924 or www.HealthyMinds.org
• American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
• 1-301-654-7850 or www.aagonline.org
• American Society on Aging
• 1-800-537-9728 or www.asaging.org

11
Contact Information

• Dawn Zak
• Mental Health Association
• 414-276-3122 or 877-642-4630 (toll free)
• dawn_at_mhamilw.org
• www.mhamilw.org