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February, 2001
 Department of Health and Human
Services
Administration on Aging
Older Adults and Mental
Health:
Issues and Opportunities
The
design and delivery of mental health services to older persons is
a vital societal challenge, in light of the enormous increase in
the elderly population that is projected to occur during the first
half of this century. The purpose of this report is to highlight
major issues in the field of mental health and aging; to discuss
efforts to address these issues, including community-based
services; and to identify the crucial challenges that must be
confronted in the years ahead and strategies to meet them.
This
report is written as a companion document to Mental Health: A
Report of the Surgeon General (USDHHS, 1999a). Because the
Surgeon Generals report provides an excellent discussion of the
nature, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders, this report
will focus instead on community-based services that can be
utilized by a wide range of elders, including older persons in
good mental health, for whom outreach and education might be
helpful; older persons who are experiencing acute stress or
crisis; and those with severe mental disorders. While substance
misuse and abuse are closely intertwined with mental health and
merit full discussion, the primary focus of this report is on
mental health and aging and the services and systems designated to
deal with these areas of concern.
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