Caskie Grace I L, Kirby Mackenzie E, Root Eve Z
Department of Education and Human Services, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, USA.
Clin Gerontol. 2024 Nov 7:1-14. doi: 10.1080/07317115.2024.2425307.
Older adults underutilize mental healthcare, and ageism as a potential barrier has been under-researched. As ageism comes both from external sources and is internalized by older adults, we examined the prevalence of external and internalized ageist barriers to help-seeking and how depressive and anxiety symptoms differed based on how strongly older adults endorsed these ageist barriers.
A sample of 247 older adults completed measures online to assess barriers to mental healthcare (BMHSS-R), depressive symptoms (CES-D), and anxiety symptoms (GAD-7).
Barriers representing internalized ageist stereotypes about older adult mental health were endorsed more frequently than external ageist barriers. Older adults endorsing ageist barriers to care reported significantly more depressive and anxiety symptoms than those not endorsing these barriers.
Ageism, particularly internalized beliefs that poor mental health is typical in older adulthood, was reflected in older adults' perceptions of barriers to seeking mental healthcare. Both internalized and external ageist barriers to care negatively influence well-being.
To support older adult mental health, clinicians should dispel inaccurate, ageist stereotypes about older adult mental health internalized by their clients and work to increase and then communicate their openness and ability to provide competent mental healthcare to older adults.
老年人对心理保健服务利用不足，而年龄歧视作为一个潜在障碍尚未得到充分研究。由于年龄歧视既来自外部因素，也被老年人内化，我们研究了外部和内化的年龄歧视障碍对寻求帮助的影响程度，以及老年人认可这些年龄歧视障碍的程度与抑郁和焦虑症状之间的差异。
247名老年人通过在线方式完成了评估心理保健障碍（BMHSS-R）、抑郁症状（CES-D）和焦虑症状（GAD-7）的测量。
与外部年龄歧视障碍相比，老年人更频繁地认可代表对老年心理健康内化的年龄歧视刻板印象的障碍。认可护理年龄歧视障碍的老年人报告的抑郁和焦虑症状明显多于不认可这些障碍的老年人。
年龄歧视，特别是认为心理健康不佳在老年期很常见的内化信念，反映在老年人对寻求心理保健障碍的认知中。内化和外部的护理年龄歧视障碍都会对幸福感产生负面影响。
为了支持老年人的心理健康，临床医生应该消除客户内化的关于老年心理健康的不准确、带有年龄歧视的刻板印象，并努力提高并告知老年人自己愿意且有能力为他们提供合格的心理保健服务。
