Healthcare professionals' perspectives on patient mental health treatment engagement in later life
Loading...
Date
2023-07-06
Authors
Rapaport, Li-elle
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Older adults face complex challenges in seeking and receiving mental health treatment. While older adults access psychological services less frequently than other populations, strong engagement can predict better treatment outcomes. This study explores practitioners’ perspectives on the treatment engagement of patients referred for specialty geriatric mental health services. Guided by Raue & Sirey’s (2011) late-life treatment engagement model, 11 interviews were conducted with specialty geriatric mental health professionals (geriatric psychiatrists and gero-psychologists) and frequent referral sources such as general practitioners and other specialty health providers to assess their perspectives on patient treatment engagement barriers and potential improvement to the current referral process. The data were analyzed using the framework analytic approach, and summative content analysis was used to extract suggested treatment engagement interventions. Results from the framework analysis highlighted mental health literacy, attitudes, and beliefs as key influences on treatment decisions and the importance of patient-centered care, strong relationship dynamics, and collaboration among providers and older adults when navigating treatment systems. Streamlined communication between the referral source, specialists, and patients was also proposed with a call to educate family doctors, and patients, and their families about available services, referral processes, and how to openly discuss mental health. Findings from this study highlight the importance of considering provider and referrer factors in attempts to better engage patients and suggest a need for interventions to improve knowledge about mental health services.
Description
Keywords
older adults, mental health, treatment engagement, practitioner perspectives, collaborative care