-
Supporting Socially Isolated Seniors
For many seniors, especially those who live alone, life can become progressively more challenging and isolating, compromising their ability to age well and safely in place. According to a report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, nearly one-quarter of adults age 65...
-
Treatment Services for Older Adults with Substance Use Disorders
As the leader of Odyssey House, one of the largest non-profit residential and outpatient treatment providers in New York City, I have witnessed firsthand the growing need for specialized services tailored to those struggling with addiction, including older adults. While substance use disorders can...
-
How to Approach Treating Older Adults with Complex Mental and Physical Care Needs
Roughly 14% of adults over age 60 (WHO, 2023) live with a mental health condition. As the geriatric population continues to grow (Urban Institute, n.d.), so do its rates of mental distress, depression, and drug deaths (Wilson, 2024). The behavioral health industry must prepare for treating more...
-
Nursing Home Initiated Discharges of Residents a Critical Issue for Patients with Mental Health Disorders
Nursing homes care for a growing number of adults with mental health disorders. In fact, mental health is sometimes a decisive factor that contributes to placement in a nursing home, causing nursing homes to become the de facto institution for persons with mental illness. Thus, there is increasing...
-
Prevention Across the Lifespan: Substance Use Education and Screening Services for Older Adults
While older adulthood is a special time of life, it is also a time when older individuals may face health issues and life transitions. It can be a vulnerable time for mental health and can lead to a change in the way people use substances. New York State has the fourth-largest population of older...
-
Innovative Delivery of Therapy for Older Adults with Depression
There are many changes that take place as we age, but many people assume that depression is a normal part of aging. Instead, depression is best thought of as a response to losses and changes associated with aging, and most importantly – it is treatable! In our work with community-dwelling older...
-
Addressing the Unique Mental Health Challenges Brought on by Aging
Older adults are one of the fastest-growing demographics in the nation and in New York State. There are currently about 4.6 million New Yorkers who are 60 years of age or older and another 4.2 million between the ages of 45 and 59. Individuals with wisdom and life experience are a gift to...
-
Addressing the Aging Crisis in New York’s Mental Health Housing
New York’s mental health and supportive housing system is currently facing a significant challenge: an aging population among its residents. Forty years ago, when the original funding and housing models were developed by state leadership, the longevity of residents was not a primary concern....
-
Understanding Teenage Self-Harm: Strategies for Prevention and Support
“I needed to cut, the way your lungs scream for air when you swim the length of the pool underwater in one breath. It was a craving so organic it seemed to have risen from my skin itself” (Kettlewell, 2000). This striking yet genuine comment reflects how many teenagers feel when engaging in...
-
Elder Abuse and Mental Health: Victims, Perpetrators, and Potential for Change
Elder abuse is increasing in the United States (US) as more Americans age and become vulnerable to various forms of mistreatment (Chang & Levy, 2021). This kind of abuse can have significant effects on mental health, not only for older victims but for perpetrators of abuse,...
