Addressing the Rising Mental Health Needs of an Aging Population: Proceedings of a Workshop (2024)
Chapter: Appendix A: Statement of Task
Appendix A
Statement of Task
Addressing the Rising Mental Health Needs of an Aging Population: A Workshop
A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine planning committee will organize and host a public workshop to explore the current state of mental health care for older adults in the United States and potential strategies to address the mental health needs and challenges of our aging population. The workshop will consider a broad range of issues that may include:
The incidence and prevalence of mental health and substance use conditions among older adults as well as the range and availability of services to address those needs.
Ways to improve the quality, capacity, equity and access of community-based and institutional mental health services for older adults, such as:
- integrating physical and mental health services
- building a larger and more clinically and culturally competent mental health workforce
- overcoming barriers to care access and leveraging technologies to support care
Ways to build and sustain comprehensive programs to support the well-being of older adults with mental health conditions (e.g., dementia), such as:
- coordination among care providers
- coordinating policy initiatives among governmental agencies
- integrating services to address the social determinants of mental health disorders (for example, social isolation, economic hardship, food insecurity, dangerous living conditions, and racism)
- reorganizing financing of services to align funding structures with service needs
Ways to help older people with mental health disorders to live where they prefer in the community and to support their family caregivers, such as:
- expanding in-home and telehealth services
- educating the public and caregivers about mental health and co-morbid conditions among older adults
- including older adults as part of the effort to meet the needs of their peers
Knowledge gaps that impede progress in identifying and providing appropriate care for individuals with mental health and substance use conditions, which could be addressed through new research
The planning committee will develop the agenda for the workshop sessions, select and invite speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions. A proceedings of the presentations and discussions at the workshop will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.
