Underutilization of Mental Health Professionals by Community Elderly
- 1 February 1984
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in The Gerontologist
- Vol. 24 (1) , 23-30
- https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/24.1.23
Abstract
Eighty-eight community elderly were interviewed about seeking help for psychiatric symptoms. The results showed low past professional utilization, perceptions of low future utilization even if psychiatric symptoms were experienced, an overwhelming preference for general physicians as treatment providers, and a very low opinion of the effectiveness of mental health professionals. It is suggested that “ageism” may be less of an obstacle to psychiatric service utilization than are the elderly's own biases and fears about mental disorders and mental health professionals.Keywords
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