Are Older Adults Unique? Examining Presenting Issues and Changes in Therapy Across the Life Span

Abstract

With the urgent need to increase and improve mental health care of the growing population of older adults in the United States, clinical research is warranted to further the knowledge and improve the relevant training for mental health professionals working with older adults. This study drew from two diverse clinical samples of adults ages 18 years to 80 years to examine whether and how initial clinical presentations and changes over time in individual, family-of-origin, and relational measures differed across the life span. Results indicated a variety of linear and curvilinear associations between individual, family-of-origin, and relational measures at intake and age, with some moderation by gender. There were no significant results between the amount of change on those measures and age, indicating that older adults may change in similar fashion to middle-aged and younger adults in psychotherapy. Relevant clinical implications are provided.

From Pathology to Intervention and Beyond. Reviewing Current Evidence for Treating Trauma-Related Disorders in Later Life

“…These barriers are associated with persisting and biased assumptions about older adults having insufficient flexibility to benefit from psychotherapy; an opinion derived from Sigmund Freud ( 51 ). Disconfirming these stereotypes, however, older and younger adults were found to benefit in equal measure from mental health care ( 52 ). Similarly, older and younger adults benefitted equally from high intensive EMDR treatment ( 53 ).…”

Elevated Anxious and Depressed Mood Relates to Future Executive Dysfunction in Older Adults: A Longitudinal Network Analysis of Psychopathology and Cognitive Functioning

“…A better understanding of the psychiatric symptom correlates, precedents, and consequences of dementia severity and related cognitive functioning nodes in late-life by using CLPN is thus valuable to DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTION -A CLPN ANALYSIS 11 advance knowledge on this topic. Clinicians can harness these findings to optimize therapies for older adults by identifying special considerations for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment in this unique population (Sabey, Jensen, Major, Zinbarg, & Pinsof, 2020).…”