Older Adult Representation in the Counseling Psychology Literature

Abstract

The increasing older adult population has implications for the training and practice of counseling psychologists because of the field's avowed dedication to lifespan development. The present study examined the degree to which older adults were represented in articles in the Journal of Counseling Psychology and The Counseling Psychologist from 1991 to 2000. Several issues were examined: age-based characteristics of samples reported, changes in these characteristics over time, whether articles including multiple studies involved older participants, and degree of attention to older adults in theoretical articles. Results are discussed in context of the traditional definition of counseling psychology, what counseling psychologists have to offer older adults, and the implications for the training of counseling psychologists with expertise in older adult issues.

Predicting counseling psychologists attitudes and clinical judgments with respect to older adults

“…Lastly, the legal imperative is directly connected to the ethical imperative and names the delivery of services outside the scope of one's competence a violation of the rights (i.e., the right to equal access and opportunity for mental health services) of ethnic minority clients.One strategy for determining the success of such calls to the profession as Ridley's, is to examine the state of the literature for the profession. In an informal investigation modeled afterWerth, Kopera-Frye, Blevins, and Bossick (2003) investigation of the prevalence of aging issues addressed in the flagship counseling psychology journals (see below for a description of the study), I performed a literature search of the Journal of Counseling Psychology (JCP) and The Counseling Psychologist (TCP) (from their inception: 1969 for TCP and 1954 for JCP) for research focused on multicultural issues. Using just the search term "multicultural," 449 articles matched in TCP and 239 in JCP.…”

Social Justice Training Within Geropsychology

“…Although there seems to be a "goodness of fit" between the profession and the needs of older adults (Fretz, 1993;Vacha-Haase & Duffy, 2012), significant deficits remain in geropsychology-specific training. This insufficiency was highlighted by a review of published articles in counseling psychology journals between 1991 and 2000; researchers found only a few articles focusing on older adults (Werth et al, 2003).…”

“…This disparity is staggering, and has implications for the well-being of minority group members in terms of basic necessities (e.g., food, housing, clothing), and access to health care, medications, and transportation, to name a few. Despite the existing inequality, social justice efforts involving older adults are rarely discussed in the counseling psychology literature, whether in research or practice (Werth, Kopera-Frye, Blevins, & Bossick, 2003). We hope to be a catalyst for change within the field of counseling psychology by introducing nontraditional pedagogical models.…”

Past adolescence, into and across adulthood: career crises and major decisions

“…Hence, it is important to examine gender differences relating to career crises and major decisions. Also in keeping with the core value of diversity (see Werth Jr., Kopera-Frye, Blevins, & Bossick, 2003), individuals from Mumbai, India, have been surveyed in this study. This allows the field of career development to be enriched by perspectives from a less-studied culture.…”