A recent article, published in the April 2015 issue of American Psychologist, offers a blueprint for addressing the growing disparity between an increasing number of older Americans and the small proportion of psychologists trained to assess and treat this population's mental health and substance abuse conditions.
Dr. Michael Hoge, a professor of psychiatry affiliated with the department's Psychology Section, is lead author of the article. Dr. Hoge serves as the department's director of clinical training in psychology.
The article's authors provide an in-depth analysis of the behavioral health needs of older adults and outline eight high-priority workforce development strategies to address this urgent crisis.
The recommendations build on a 2012 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report that examined the supply of and demand for the nation’s mental health and substance use workforce for older adults. Dr. Hoge was a member of the IOM expert committee on the subject and a contributor to the report.
Reference:
Strengthening psychology's workforce for older adults: Implications of the Institute of Medicine's report to Congress.Am Psychol. 2015 Apr;70(3):265-78. doi: 10.1037/a0038927.