Geriatric psychology is a subfield of

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

that specializes in the mental and

physical health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organi ...

of individuals in the later stages of life. These specialized psychologists study a variety of psychological abilities that deplete as aging occurs such as

memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...

, learning capabilities, and coordination. Geriatric psychologists work with elderly clients to conduct the diagnosis, study, and treatment of certain mental illnesses in a variety of workplace settings. Common areas of practice include loneliness in old age, depression, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and Parkinson's disease.

Geriatric psychology vs. geriatric psychiatry

''Geriatric psychology'' Geriatric psychology is based upon the study of mental functions with aging. The psychologist's purpose is to observe how the

neurological Neurology (from el, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the brain, the spinal ...

and

physiological Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

process of an elderly adults brain affects their behaviors in daily life. When a psychologist is specialized in

geriatrics Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of older adults. The term ''geriatrics'' originates from the Greek language, Greek γέρων ''geron'' meaning "old man", and ιατ ...

they provide care for declining brain functions to make life better. ''Geriatric psychiatry'' Geriatric psychiatry is a subspecialty of

psychiatry Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry. Initial psych ...

dealing with the research, diagnosis and treatment of

mental disorders A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

in the later stages of life. The field composes of the diagnosis, treatment, and management of areas such as depression,

dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...

, and

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

. A geriatric psychiatrist is also a licensed doctor that can prescribe medications for elderly patients. Psychiatrists require education and degree from a medical school.

Role of the geriatric psychologist

A geriatric psychologist specializes in the treatment of the elderly. This treatment can include mental health problems or aid in understanding and coping with the aging process. In order to become a geriatric psychologist, one must obtain a doctoral degree in psychology and specialize in

adult development Adult development encompasses the changes that occur in biological and psychological domains of human life from the end of adolescence until the end of one's life. These changes may be gradual or rapid and can reflect positive, negative, or no c ...

and aging. Once the degree is obtained, geriatric psychologists will usually work in

hospitals A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

, mental health clinics, rehab centers, nursing homes, and

research centers A research institute, research centre, research center or research organization, is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often i ...

. Geriatric psychologists spend most of their workday addressing mental health issues in older adults and counseling those that need it. They also aid in the diagnosis of age-related problems. In order to check for mental health issues, geriatric psychologists will conduct clinical interviews, neuropsychological tests and behavioral observations.

History

Geriatric psychology began in 1978 with a spike in interest in mental health and the effects of aging. There was a slow increase in the number of aging adults in the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

population. There was a small group of 11 people who met together to talk about late-life mental health needs and the field of geriatrics. This meeting later created the American Association of Geriatric Psychology (AAGP). As time has gone on the small group has turned into a very large group of people dedicated to the well being of the aging population.

Common areas of practice

Loneliness in elderly people

Loneliness is an emotional response to the process of

social isolation Social isolation is a state of complete or near-complete lack of contact between an individual and society. It differs from loneliness, which reflects temporary and involuntary lack of contact with other humans in the world. Social isolation ...

. It typically entails the feelings of anxiousness due to the lack of

social connectedness Social connection is the experience of feeling close and connected to others. It involves feeling loved, cared for, and valued, and forms the basis of interpersonal relationships."Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel ...

or communication with others. Research has shown that loneliness has negative impacts on biological,

cognitive Cognition refers to "the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses". It encompasses all aspects of intellectual functions and processes such as: perception, attention, thought, ...

and

immune In biology, immunity is the capability of multicellular organisms to resist harmful microorganisms. Immunity involves both specific and nonspecific components. The nonspecific components act as barriers or eliminators of a wide range of pathogens ...

functioning. It is prevalent throughout all age groups from childhood to old age.

Nurses Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

and other individuals who work in association with the elderly learn the various

theories A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be ...

of loneliness, as they may need to implement these perspectives into enhancing the lives of their patients. They are particularly problematic in old age due to the changes an individual goes through such as decreasing economic stability and resources, changes in family structures, reduced social communication and the death of a relative or spouse. The most researched outcomes of loneliness are depression and

cardiovascular health Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, ...

. Lonely individuals have found to have increased

arterial stiffness Arterial stiffness occurs as a consequence of biological aging and arteriosclerosis. Inflammation plays a major role in arteriosclerosis development, and consequently it is a major contributor in large arteries stiffening. Increased arterial stif ...

, decreased

blood circulation The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...

and associated with elevated blood pressure. Social isolation and feelings of loneliness are also major risk factors for poor cognitive and

physical Physical may refer to: *Physical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally co ...

health. A poor sense of social connectedness has a negative impact on

neural In Biology, biology, the nervous system is the Complex system, highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its Behavior, actions and Sense, sensory information by transmitting action potential, signals to and from different parts of its ...

processing and cognitive abilities. In a four-year prospective study of initially dementia-free old-age adults, the risk of Alzheimer's was more than twice in lonely individuals compared to non-lonely. The study concluded that loneliness led to lower cognitive abilities and a rapid decline in cognition during the four-year course.

Depression

Depression in the elderly community can have severe consequences, which is why it is an important public health problem and research area. Older adults facing this debilitating condition are less likely to endorse affective symptoms and are more likely to instead display cognitive changes, somatic symptoms, and loss of interest than are younger adults. It is

comorbid In medicine, comorbidity - from Latin morbus ("sickness"), co ("together"), -ity (as if - several sicknesses together) - is the presence of one or more additional conditions often co-occurring (that is, concomitant or concurrent) with a primary ...

with "morbidity, increased risk of suicide, decreased physical, cognitive and social functioning, and greater self-neglect", all of which are associated with an increase in mortality. ''Risk factors'' A common pathway to depression in older adults may consist of predisposing risks as well as the life changes experienced in old age. The development of late-life depression has several risk factors that likely compose of "cognitive diathesis, age-associated neurobiological changes, genetic vulnerabilities, and stressful life events".

Insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...

is often an overlooked factor in late-life depression. Impacts of sleep deprivation are reduced glucose tolerance, elevated evening

cortisol Cortisol is a steroid hormone, in the glucocorticoid class of hormones. When used as a medication, it is known as hydrocortisone. It is produced in many animals, mainly by the ''zona fasciculata'' of the adrenal cortex in the adrenal gland ...

levels, and increased

sympathetic nervous system The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the parasympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is sometimes considered part of th ...

activity.

Sleep quality Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited Perception, sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefuln ...

at an old age is just as important as sleep duration to avoid lack of sleep. Research shows that feelings of loneliness and depression can result in poor sleep quality and daytime dysfunctions. These daytime impairments include physical and intellectual fatigue,

irritability Irritability (also called as crankiness) is the excitatory ability that living organisms have to respond to changes in their environment. The term is used for both the physiological reaction to stimuli and for the pathological, abnormal or excessi ...

, and low cognitive abilities.

Dementia

Dementia is a variety of symptoms that apply to a decline in mental ability, not a specific disease. There are a variety of different symptoms that affect one's behavior as well as their memory and thought processes. These impairments make it hard to carry out day-to-day activities. They also give way to emotional problems as well as decreased motivation for living. Due to dementia not being a disorder of consciousness, a person's conscious is not usually affected. Geriatric psychologists work with dementia by aiding in the diagnosis of this disease. This is done through various cognitive tests and assessments. They will also look at research and potential treatment for dementia.

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, accounting for 60-80 percent of dementia cases. The effects of Alzheimer's are subtle at first but worsen as time passes. A common early symptom relates to difficulty recalling events of the recent past. Numerous symptoms arise as the disease progresses. These symptoms include: speech problems, disoriented states, issues with mood, lack of motivation, etc. Similar to dementia, a geriatric psychologist's role regarding Alzheimer's disease is the assessment, treatment, and research of the disease.

Vascular dementia

Vascular dementia, the second most common type of dementia, is the result of a stroke. Often times, it is difficult to differentiate between various types of dementia due to overlying symptoms and pathology. Ultimately, vascular dementia is the result of difficulties involved in blood supply to the brain. A geriatric psychologist aids in the assessment, diagnosing, treatment, and research of vascular dementia.

Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder that has symptoms like tremors, slowed movement, stiffness, and impaired balance. It primarily affects the motor system, which supports motor functions used for movement. As the disease advances, it is common for individuals to experience dementia that is specifically associated with Parkinson's disease. Those who suffer from this disease can also experience issues with sensory systems. A geriatric psychologist's role for those with Parkinson's disease would be helping the person diagnosed deal with the stress they may encounter regarding Parkinson's disease. Since it is not a brain disorder, the geriatric psychologist would not help with diagnosing or the treatment of the disease.

References

{{reflist Health psychology