Outreach Psychotherapy: A Means to Bridging the Gap in Access to Mental Health Services for Seniors in Care
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Authors
Harbin, Jillian
Issue Date
2025-12
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
outreach psychotherapy , outreach counselling for seniors , older adults , mental health , care facilities , age-related comorbidities
Alternative Title
Abstract
This capstone project explores how outreach counselling programs may aid in greater access to mental health services (MHS) for the older adult population. It will specifically look at older adults (OA) in care facilities (ie. assisted living, long-term care, and palliative care). The objective of the literature review is to analyze the current data on this topic, and understand the information gathered/how well this answers the research question. As well, it will aim to see where there are gaps in the current literature and make informed suggestions for future clinical research and practice. A systematic literature review was conducted using Boolean methods with specific search parameters, inclusion and exclusion criteria. Scholarly databases were accessed, and only the use of peer-reviewed articles were included in the review. Major findings included age-related barriers that OA face, the prevalence of physical and mental health comorbidities, as well as common mental health concerns and methods of treatment for this population. This capstone project can be used as a guidepost for clinicians working in the field of geropsychology, in terms of future training for specialization with this population, future research to expand on the themes found, as well as understanding and developing new policies to advocate for the needs of OA adults and their mental health.
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Citation
Publisher
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
openAccess
openAccess