Please take this survey! Click here.

Mental Health Problems in Older Adults

It is estimated that 20% of older adults experience some type of mental health concern. The most common conditions include anxiety, severe cognitive impairment, and mood disorders (such as depression or bipolar disorder). The presence of depressive disorders often adversely complicates the treatment and course of other chronic diseases. Unfortunately, depressive disorders are a widely under-recognized condition and often untreated or under-treated among older adults. Moreover, mental health issues are often implicated as a factor in cases of suicide (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Association of Chronic Disease Directors. The State of Mental Health and Aging in America Issue Brief 1: What Do the Data Tell Us? Atlanta, GA: National Association of Chronic Disease Directors; 2008).

In recognition of the essential role mental health plays in physical and emotional well-being of older Vermonters, the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL), in collaboration with the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and the Vermont Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-VT), is working to expand the elder mental health provider network to ensure the State has the capacity to meet the mental health services needs of a growing older population.

We invite you to be a part of this initiative by participating in our survey. The data collected will provide us with a snapshot of the existing network of elder mental health providers and help us understand the barriers to expanding mental health services for older Vermonters.  Click on this link to respond:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8WSVSPJ.