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Old Age Mental Health Workforce
Global population aging with the associated increase in age-related
mental disorders poses a significant aged care workforce challenge
worldwide. No health discipline seems to be spared as many countries
struggle to train an adequate number of skilled health workers. IPA
is a multidisciplinary organization and has noted these mounting
concerns expressed by its member geriatric psychiatrists, nurses,
social workers, psychologists, primary care physicians and
occupational therapists.
To further our understanding and to outline the extent of the
problem, over the coming months the IPA website will feature a
series of articles on the old age mental health workforce. The first
of these, prepared by Jeff Lyness, immediate past president of the
American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry and an IPA member,
explores the reasons for the dwindling geriatric psychiatrist
workforce in the United States along with some thoughts about ways
forward.
We welcome your thoughts and perspectives on this important issue in
the field. Please tell us what you think by responding to
membership@ipa-online.org
so that we may begin a dialogue on the issues raised.
Geriatric Workforce Crisis in the U.S.
I am pleased to have this opportunity to briefly summarize the key
issues involving the geriatric psychiatry workforce crisis in the
U.S. To begin with a statement of the problem: Only ~ 55 – 60
physicians are entering geriatric fellowships annually in recent
years, compared to a peak of over 90 per year almost a decade ago.
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