Document Type
Policy Advocacy Brief
Publication Date
3-2018
Issue Statement/Executive Summary
Approximately 8 million Americans 65 years of age and older have mental health disorders. It is estimated that these numbers could reach 14.4 million by 2030. Minnesotans turning 65 in this decade (about 285,000) will be greater than the past four decades combined (Aging: MN State Demographic Center, 2018). Anxiety and depression are two of the more common mental health disorders in older adults and are associated with severe consequences, including life dissatisfaction, illness, and mortality. With this growth comes many barriers. The rural mental health system is not equipped to address this growth. The system is underfunded, largely uncoordinated, and often unreliable, and, at times, unsafe (Helman, 2016, para. 13).
Department
Social Work
Recommended Citation
Schaper, A., LeDoux, C., & Danielson, K. (2018). Invisible no more: Bringing awareness to mental health in older adults living in rural Minnesota. MSW Policy Briefs, Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/msw-student-policy-advocacy-briefs/8
Included in
Clinical and Medical Social Work Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons, Social Work Commons
