Identifying Ageism: Moving Towards Addressing Gaps in Mental Health Care for Older Adults-View Presentation

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The final session of the meeting focused on the critical topic of ageism, particularly in mental healthcare for older adults. Led by a distinguished panel of specialists in geriatric psychiatry, the session aimed to shed light on the growing global senior population and the prejudices they might face as they age. By 2050, 1.6 billion seniors will exist worldwide, making this discussion urgent and relevant.<br /><br />The session opened with Dr. Badr Ratnakar explaining the concept of ageism—prejudices and stereotypes against individuals based on age, particularly the elderly. He highlighted how this issue became more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic through societal neglect and political statements reflecting ageist biases. Despite being a well-recognized issue, ageism remains insufficiently addressed in medical and social communities.<br /><br />Panelists discussed age-related challenges in healthcare, particularly mental health, as older adults are less likely to receive treatment despite high occurrences of mental health issues like depression and anxiety. They identified barriers like financial insecurity, mistrust in healthcare, and lack of access to specialized geriatric care as contributors to this problem. Furthermore, negative stereotypes among healthcare professionals can lead to inadequate care for older patients.<br /><br />The session suggested interventions such as improved education about ageism in medical training and developing policies to reduce ageism in healthcare settings. Highlighting successful aging, they called for increased mental health care access and a societal shift toward more respectful views on aging. Audience members shared their experiences, reflecting the pervasive and complex nature of ageism, and the need for systemic societal changes.

Keywords

ageism

mental healthcare

older adults

geriatric psychiatry

global senior population

COVID-19 pandemic

prejudices

mental health issues

healthcare barriers

successful aging

systemic societal changes