Advertisement
Editorial| Volume 29, ISSUE 10, P989-992, October 2021

Download started.

Ok

The Spectrum of Ageism, Mentalism, and Ableism: Expressions of a Triple Jeopardy

      Globally, mental health systems have been in crisis for decades, prompting calls for a “revolution” in mental health.

      World needs “revolution” in mental health care – UN rights expert https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21689

      Today, there are 703 million people aged 65 or older, a number that is projected to reach 1.5 billion by 2050.

      United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2020). World Population

      Of these, approximately 20% will have mental health conditions such as dementia, depression, anxiety and substance use, often complicated by physical and psychosocial comorbidities culminating in disability. These ominous trends have been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic with widespread increases in brain health challenges.
      To read this article in full you will need to make a payment

      Purchase one-time access:

      Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online access
      One-time access price info
      • For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
      • For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'

      Subscribe:

      Subscribe to The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
      Already a print subscriber? Claim online access
      Already an online subscriber? Sign in
      Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect

      References

      1. World needs “revolution” in mental health care – UN rights expert https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21689

      2. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2020). World Population

      3. WHO. Mental health of older adults https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-of-older-adults

        • Tehrani H.
        Mental health stigma related to novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in older adults.
        Geriatrics Gerontol Int. 2020; 20: 796-797https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.13985
        • Banerjee D.
        Age and ageism in COVID-19′: elderly mental health-care vulnerabilities and needs.
        Asian J Psychiatr. 2020; 51102154https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102154
        • Colenda CC
        • Reynolds CF
        • Applegate WB
        • et al.
        COVID-19 pandemic and ageism: a call for humanitarian care.
        J Am Geriatrics Soc. 2020; 68: 1627-1628https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16663
        • Maxfield Molly
        • Pituch Keenan A.
        COVID-19 worry, mental health indicators, and preparedness for future care needs across the adult lifespan.
        Aging Mental Health. 2020; https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2020.1828272
        • Lytle Ashley
        • Apriceno MaryBeth
        • Macdonald Jamie
        • et al.
        Pre-pandemic ageism toward older adults predicts behavioral intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
        J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2020; XX: 1-5https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa210
        • Flett G.L.
        • Heisel M.J.
        Aging and feeling valued versus expendable during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: a review and commentary of why mattering is fundamental to the health and well-being of older adults.
        Int J Ment Health Addiction. 2020; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00339-4
        • Cruise C
        • Lashewicz B.
        COMMENTSSay What?! ableist logic used in misguided attempt to combat ageism during COVID-19.
        J Am Geriatrics Soc. 2021; 69: 47-48https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16932
        • Colenda CC
        • Reynolds CF
        • Applegate WB
        • et al.
        Reply to: say what?! ableist logic used in misguided attempt to combat ageism during COVID-19.
        J Am Geriatrics Soc. 2021; 69 (48-48)https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16934
      4. United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UHDR) https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

      5. The Core International Human Rights Instruments and their monitoring bodies. https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/coreinstruments.aspx

      6. Average life expectancy in 1948 Google accessed April 22, 2021

      7. Average life expectancy in 2021 Google accessed April 22, 2021

      8. Global report on ageism. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/340208/9789240016866-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

        • Chang E-S
        • Kannoth S
        • Levy S
        • et al.
        Global reach of ageism on older persons’ health: a systematic review.
        PLoS ONE. 2020; 15e0220857https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220857
        • Levy Becca R
        • Slade Martin D
        • Chang E-Shien
        • et al.
        Ageism amplifies cost and prevalence of health conditions.
        The Gerontologist. 2020; 60: 174-181https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gny131
        • Smith Erin
        • Ali Diab
        • Wilkerson Bill
        • et al.
        A brain capital grand strategy: toward economic reimagination.
        Molecular Psychiatry. 2021; 26: 3-22https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-020-00918-w
      9. IPA and WPA-SOAP has issued a Joint Statement on the Rights of Older Persons with Mental Health Conditions and Psychosocial disabilities https://www.ipa-online.org/UserFiles/file/IPAWPASOAPjointstatementMarch2021.pdf