Abstract
This contribution focuses on two primary objectives—outlining mental health in relation to later life and identifying, where appropriate, specific information about the mental health of older White adults. At the heart of such a discussion is the recognition that, with age, regardless of race or ethnicity, individuals demonstrate more diversity and heterogeneity. Therefore, any discussion about elders must recognize that diversity within specific groups is expected—in our case, among older Whites.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albert, M. S., Jones, K., Savage, C. R., Berkman, L., Seeman, T., Blazer, D., & Rowe, J. W. (1995). Predictors of cognitive change in older persons: MacArthur studies of successful aging. Psychology and Aging, 10, 578–589.
Alzheimer’s Association. (2007). http://www.alz.org/.
Anthony-Bergstone, C. R., Zarit, S. H., & Gatz, M. (1988). Symptoms of psychological distress among caregivers of dementia patients. Psychology and Aging, 3, 245–248.
Bachman, D. L., Wolf, P. A., Linn, R., et al. (1992). Prevalence of dementia and probable senile dementia of the Alzheimer type in the Framingham study. Neurology, 42, 115–119.
Bartels, S. J. (2004). Caring for the whole person: Integrated health care for older adults with severe mental illness and medical comorbidity. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 52, S249–S257.
Blazer, D. G. (2003). Depression in later life: Review and commentary. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences, 58, 249–265.
Bruce, M. L., McAvay, G. J., Raue, P. J., Brown, E. L., Meyers, B. S., Keohane, D. J., Jagoda, D. R., & Weber, C. W. (2002). Major depression in elderly home health care patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 1367–1374.
Bull, C. N. (1998). Aging in rural communities. National Forum, 78(2), 38–41.
Burns, B., & Taub, C. (1990). Mental health services in general medical care and in nursing homes. In B. Fogel, A. Furino, & G. Gottlieb (Eds.), Mental health policy for older Americans: Protecting minds at risk (pp. 63–83). Washington: American Psychiatric Press.
Cole, M. G., & Dendukuri, N. (2003). Risk Factors for depression among elderly community subjects: A systemic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 1147–1156.
Conwell, Y. (2001). Suicide in later life: A review and recommendations for prevention. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, 31(Supplement), 32–47.
Conwell, Y., & Brent, D. (1995). Suicide and aging 1: Patterns of psychiatric diagnosis. International Psychogeriatrics, 7, 53–72.
Day, J. (1996). Population projections of the United States by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin: 1995 to 2050. Current Population Report no. P25–1130, Washington: U.S. Bureau of the Census, U.S. Government Printing Office.
Delpa, M. F. I. A., Graff, R. de, Weeghel, J. van, & Heeren, T. J. (2005). The role of stigma in the quality of life of older adults with severe illness. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20, 146–153.
Finch, C. E., & Tanzi, R. E. (1997). Genetics of aging. Science, 278(5337), 407–411.
Folstein, M. F., Bassett, S. S., Anthony, J. C., et al. (1991). Dementia: A case ascertainment in a community survey. Journal of Gerontology, 46, M132–M138.
Frasure-Smith, N., & Lespérance, F. (1995). Depression and coronary heart disease: Complex synergism of mind, body, and environment. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 39–43.
Fratiglioni, L., Grut, M., Forsell, Y., et al. (1991). Prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in an elderly urban population: Relationship with age, sex, and education. Neurology, 41, 1886–1892.
Garske, G. G., Williams, B. T., & Schiro-Geist, C. (1999). The financial costs of severe mental illness. Journal of Rehabilitation, 65(4), 39–44.
Gary, F. A. (2005). Stigma: Barrier to mental health care among ethnic minorities. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 26, 979–999.
Gatz, M., & Smyer, M. A. (1992). The mental health system and older adults in the 1990s. American Psychologist, 47(6), 741–751.
Gilmer, T., Ojeda, V. D., Folsom, D., et al. (2006). Costs of community-based public mental health services for older adults: Variations related to age and diagnosis. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21, 1121–1126.
Gurland, B. J., Wilder, D. E., Cross, P., et al. (1995). Relative rates of dementia by multiple case definitions, over two prevalence periods, in three cultural groups. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 3, 6–20.
Gurland, B. J., Wilder, D. E., Lantigua, R., et al. (1999). Rates of dementia in three ethnoracial groups. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 14, 481–493.
Haley, W. E., Levine, E., Brown, L., & Bartolucci, A. (1987). Stress, appraisal, coping, and social supports as mediators of adaptational outcomes among dementia caregivers. Psychology and Aging, 2, 323–330.
Hays, J., Saunders, W., Flint, E., & Blazer, D. (1997). Social support and depression as risk factors for loss of physical function in late life. Aging and Mental Health, 1, 209–220.
Hybels, C. F., & Blazer, D. G.,(2003). Epidemiology of late-life mental disorders. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 19, 663–696.
Jeste, D. V., Alexopoulos, G. S., Bartels, S. J., et al. (1999). Consensus statement on the upcoming crisis in geriatric mental health: Research agenda for the next two decades. Archives of General Psychiatry, 56, 848–863.
Johnson, C. L., & Barer, B. M. (1997). Life beyond 85 years: The aura of survivorship. New York: Springer.
Katz, I. R. (1998). Depression as a pivotal component in secondary aging. In. J. Lomranz (Ed.), Handbook of aging and mental health: An integrative approach (pp. 463–482). New York: Plenum.
Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jen, R., Koretz, D., Merikangas, K. R., et al. (2003). The epidemiology of major depressive disorder results from the national comorbidity survey replication (NCS-R). Journal of the American Medical Association, 289, 3095–3105.
Koenig, H., & Blazer, D. (1992). Mood disorders and suicide. In J. E. Birren, R. B. Sloan, & G. Cohen (Eds.), Handbook of mental health and aging (pp. 379–407). San Diego: Academic.
Lopez, S. R. (2003). Reflections on the Surgeon General’s Report on mental health, culture, race, and ethnicity. Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry, 27, 419–434.
Lyness, J. M., Cox, C., Curry, J., et al. (1995). Older age and under-reporting of depressive symptoms. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 43, 216–221.
McFarlane, A. C., & Yehuda R. (1996). Resilience, vulnerability, and the course of posttraumatic reactions. In B. A. Van der Kalk, A. C. McFarlane, & L. Weisaeth (Eds.), Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind, body and society (pp. 155–181). New York: The Guilford.
Meador, K. G., & Blazer, D. G. (1998). The variability of depression in old age: Narrative as an integrative construct. In J. Lomranz (Ed.), Handbook of aging and mental health: An integrative approach (pp. 483–495). New York: Plenum.
Mehta, K. M., Simonsick, E. M., Penninx, B. W. J. H., et al. (2003). Prevalence and correlates of anxiety symptoms in well-functioning older adults: Findings from the health and aging and body composition study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 51, 499–504.
Miles, T. P., Froehlich, T. E., Bogardus, S. T., & Inouye, S. K. (2001). Dementia and race: Are there differences between African Americans and Caucasians? Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 49(4), 477–484.
National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey. (2003). Health, United States, 2002, Special excerpt: Trend tables on 65 and older population. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health and Human Services Publication No. 03-1030.
National Institutes of Health. (1991). Diagnosis and treatment of depression in late life. (Reprinted from NIH Consensus Development Conference Consensus Statement, November 4–6, 1991. Washington: NIH, Department of Health and Human Services.
National Institutes of Health. (2006). Dramatic changes in U.S. aging highlighted in new census: Impact of baby boomers anticipated. Washington: NIH, Department of Health and Human Services.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2003). Older adults: Depression and suicide facts. NIH Publication No. 03-4593. Washington: NIH, Department of Health and Human Services.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2007). Older adults and mental health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/older-adults-and-mental-health/index.shtml.
National Mental Health Association. (2003). Depression and older Americans. http://secured.nmha.org/ccd/support/factsheet.older.cfm.
Penninx, B. W. J. H., Guralnik, J. M., Pahor, M., et al. (1998). Chronically depressed mood and cancer risk in older persons. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 90(24), 1888–1893.
Rabins, P. (1992). Prevention of mental disorder in the elderly: Current perspectives and future prospects. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 40, 727–733.
Regier, D., Boyd, J., Burke, J. D., et al. (1988). One-month prevalence of mental disorders in the United States. Archives of General Psychiatry, 45, 977–986.
Roedinger, D. R. (2006). Whiteness and it complications. Chronicle of Higher Education, 52(45), B6–B8.
Rovner, B. W. (1993). Depression and increased risk of mortality in the nursing home patient. American Journal of Medicine, 94(5A), 195–225.
Rowe, J. W., & Kahn, R. L. (1998). Successful aging. New York: Pantheon Books.
Sachs-Ericsson, N., Plant, E. A., & Blazer, D. G. (2005). Racial differences in the frequency of depressive symptoms among community dwelling elders: The role of socioeconomic factors. Aging and Mental Health, 9, 201–209.
Sartoruis, N. (2003). Introduction: Stigma and discrimination against older people with mental disorders. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 18, 669.
Somervell, P. D., Leaf, P. J., Weissman, M. M., Blazer, D. G., & Bruce, M. L. (1989). The prevalence of major depression in Black and White adults in five United States communities. American Journal of Epidemiology, 130, 725–735.
Spicer, R. S., & Miller, T. R. (2000). Suicide acts in 8 states: Incidence and case fatality rates by demographics and method. American Journal of Public Health, 90, 1885–1891.
Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health (1999). Mental health: A report of the Surgeon General. Washington: U.S. Government.
Teachman, B. A., Wilson, J. G., & Komarovskaya, I. (2006). Implicit and explicit stigma of mental illness in diagnosed and healthy samples. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 25, 75–95.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2004). We the people: Aging in the United States. www.Census.gov.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2005a). Population 65 years and over in the United States. 2005 American community survey (No. S0103). www.Census.gov.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2005b). Current population reports, P23–309. 65+ in the United States. www.Census.gov.
Weintraub, D., Raskin, A. Ruskin, P. E., et al. (2000). Racial differences in the prevalence of dementia among patients admitted to nursing homes. Psychiartric Services, 51, 1259–1264.
Weissman, M. M., Bruce, M. L., Leaf, P. J., Florio, L. P., & Holzer, C. (1991). Affective disorders. In L. Robins & D. Reiger (Eds.), Psychiatric disorders in America (pp. 53–80). New York: Free Press.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2007). Depression. http://www.who.int/mental_health/management/depression/definition/en/.
Wykle, M. L., & Musil, C. M. (1993). Mental health of older persons: Social and cultural factors. Generations, 17, 7–12.
Wykle, M. L., Segal, M., & Nagley, S. (1992). Mental health and aging: Hospital care—A nursing perspective. In J. E. Birren, R. B. Sloan, & G. Cohen (Eds.), Handbook of mental health and aging (pp. 815–831). San Diego: Academic.
Zarit, S. H. (1998). Very late life: The final frontier. Aging & Mental Health, 2, 85–86.
Zhang, M. Y., Katzman, R., Salmon, D., et al. (1990). The prevalence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in Shanghai, China: Impact of age, gender and education. Annals of Neurology, 27, 428–437.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge constructive comments provided by Dr. Barbara Barer, co-author of Life Beyond 85 Years: The Aura of Survivorship.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
McCulloch, B.J., Lassig, S., Barnett, A. (2012). Older White Adults and Mental Health. In: Chang, E., Downey, C. (eds) Handbook of Race and Development in Mental Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0424-8_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0424-8_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-0423-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-0424-8
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)