The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
-
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Feb 2018
ReviewAging and Post-Intensive Care Syndrome: A Critical Need for Geriatric Psychiatry.
Because of the aging of the intensive care unit (ICU) population and an improvement in survival rates after ICU hospitalization, an increasing number of older adults are suffering from long-term impairments because of critical illness, known as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). This article focuses on PICS-related cognitive, psychological, and physical impairments and the impact of ICU hospitalization on families and caregivers. The authors also describe innovative models of care for PICS and what roles geriatric psychiatrists could play in the future of this rapidly growing population.
-
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Feb 2018
Case Reports¡HOLA, Amigos! Toward Preventing Anxiety and Depression in Older Latinos.
Given the prevalence and morbidity of depression and anxiety in later life, the inadequacies of current treatment approaches for averting years living with disability, the disparities in access to the mental healthcare delivery system, and the workforce shortages to meet the mental health needs of older Latinos, development and testing of innovative strategies to prevent depression and anxiety are of great public health significance and have the potential to change practice. Although impediments to good depression and anxiety outcomes exist for all older adults, they are even more pronounced for older Latinos, who tend to have fewer socioeconomic resources. ⋯ The diverse needs and circumstances of older Latinos (highly sedentary, culture-specific health beliefs, service disparities) were incorporated into the design of HOLA to reduce risk factors and improve health-related outcomes associated with common mental disorders in this group. The authors describe HOLA (highlighted in this case example) and why health promotion interventions like HOLA may hold promise as effective, practical, and nonstigmatizing interventions for preventing common mental disorders in older Latinos who are at risk for developing these disorders.