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16 - Stigma of Seeking Mental Health Services and Related Constructs in Older versus Younger Adults

from Part III - Stigma and Mental Health in Specific Contexts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2022

By
Corey S. Mackenzie ,
Nicole Del Rosario  and
Melissa Krook
Edited by
David L. Vogel  and
Nathaniel G. Wade
David L. Vogel
Affiliation:
Iowa State University
Nathaniel G. Wade
Affiliation:
Iowa State University
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Summary

Older adults are the least likely age group to seek mental health services and stigma is frequently cited as a key explanation. Guided by the internalized stigma of help-seeking model, the first objective of this chapter is to review research examining age differences in public stigmas, self-stigmas, help-seeking attitudes, and intentions to seek help. With some exceptions, the bulk of this research suggests that stigmas, attitudes, and intentions are, in fact, more positive in later life. The second objective of the chapter is to examine the current state of research focusing on anti-stigma interventions among older adults. Unfortunately, a key conclusion from our review of this research is that older adults are vastly underrepresented in stigma intervention work. Most participants in meta-analyses and reviews of stigma interventions are teenagers and adults in their 20s and 30s. Only a handful of studies have targeted intervention work toward older adults, with promising results. We conclude by highlighting additional work that needs to be done to understand how age interacts with stigmas and related constructs, and how to improve them through intervention work. These efforts have the potential to improve the lives of a large and quickly growing segment of our population.

Keywords

older adultspublic stigmasself-stigmashelp-seeking attitudeshelp-seeking intentions
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Stigma and Mental Health , pp. 326 - 346
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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