Senior Mental Health, a Growing Concern

About 1 in 5 older U.S. adults has a mental illness or substance abuse problem, a new report says. The numbers will only climb as baby boomers get older. And that may create problems with access to care, the report predicts. The United States does not have enough health workers trained for the special needs of older adults, the report says. The Institute of Medicine, an independent group of experts, released the report. It says that 5.6 million to 8 million people 65 and older have mental health or substance abuse problems. Baby boomers have higher rates of illegal drug use than earlier groups. So they may have greater needs for substance abuse treatment. Mental health problems in older adults may be harder to diagnose and more complicated to treat, the report says. Long-term medical conditions can mask depression symptoms. Drugs for other illnesses also may affect mood.