Community mental health care for the elderly--a look at the obstacles.

Despite the recent attention given to mental disorders in the aged and their higher risk for organic mental disorders, older people rarely receive specialized mental health treatment. This paper reviews recent research on some of the major obstacles to the use of treatment by the elderly. These include claims of "ageism" by health care professionals, the negative attitudes and behaviors of older persons toward mental disorders and their treatment, and the failure of general practice physicians to recognize or treat symptoms of mental disorders in their elderly patients or to refer these patients to geriatric mental health specialists. It is suggested that increased public education in geriatric mental health is urgently needed for potential patients, their families, and their general physicians.