Waxman H M
Public Health Rep. 1986 May-Jun;101(3):294-300.
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.
尽管近期老年人的精神障碍及其患器质性精神障碍的较高风险受到了关注，但老年人很少接受专门的心理健康治疗。本文回顾了近期关于老年人接受治疗的一些主要障碍的研究。这些障碍包括医疗保健专业人员的“年龄歧视”说法、老年人对精神障碍及其治疗的消极态度和行为，以及全科医生未能识别或治疗老年患者的精神障碍症状，或将这些患者转介给老年心理健康专家。建议迫切需要对潜在患者、其家人及其全科医生加强老年心理健康方面的公众教育。
