Clinical interventions to empower older women

Abstract

Older women face a number of unique challenges with regard to obtaining effective interventions for mental health disorders. For instance, the interaction of negative stereotypes and discrimination create inequities in access to health care and other resources. From a biopsychosocial perspective, multiple factors influence the development of mental health issues among older women (e.g., developmental, physical, psychological, and social factors), and the literature in this area points to particularly high rates of mental health disorders, such as depression, among older women. From a feminist perspective, we argue that discrimination and negative stereotypes play a salient role in increasing older women's risk for suffering from depression in particular. Research on neurocognitive decline in older adults points to depression as a specific risk factor. As such, it is imperative to understand the ways in which older women can overcome barriers to obtaining relief from mental health issues through treatment or other nonclinical means throughout the lifespan. In this chapter, we discuss both the effects of gender on the mental health of older women, and specific ways they can empower themselves to benefit from clinical and nonclinical interventions. For instance, both physical exercise and evidence–based psychotherapy have been found to mitigate depression among older women, and we explore ways in which older women can overcome barriers to access these interventions. Further, we provide suggestions for mental health practitioners working with older women and discuss effective psychological interventions for treating mental health disorders in this population, such as feminist psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Throughout the chapter, we pay particular emphasis to the ways in which older women's mental health and ability to obtain treatment is often negatively impacted by stereotypes and mainstream societal structures.