Resource Spotlights MH in Elderly

The Geriatric Mental Health Foundation, established by the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) two years ago, launched a new Web site in late September that provides information and resources on mental health care for older adults. The site,<www.GMHFonline.org>, aims to be a “one-stop site for information” on late-life depression, substance abuse, and dementia including Alzheimer's disease, as well as information for caregivers and more.

“Our goal is to educate the public about late-life mental health issues while providing information and easy-to-use online support for older adults and their families,” said Stephen J. Bartels, M.D., M.S., chair of the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation. “Through education, we hope to reduce the stigma of mental illness and help older individuals stay healthy as well as seek appropriate treatment when it's needed.”

Bartels, an associate professor of psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School, is a past president of AAGP.

The site offers a “find-a-doctor” feature to locate specialists across the country. The feature searches from a database of clinicians who are members of AAGP.

AAGP established the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation to raise awareness of psychiatric and mental health disorders affecting the elderly, eliminate the stigma of mental illness and treatment, promote healthy aging strategies, and increase access to quality mental health care for the elderly. ▪