Serious Psychological Distress among Adults Aged 50 or Older: 2005 and 2006

摘要

Combined data from 2005 and 2006 indicate that an annual average of 7.0 percent of persons aged 50 or older experienced serious psychological distress (SPD) in the past year, with 8.8 percent of those aged 50 to 64 and 4.5 percent of those aged 65 or older having experienced past year SPD. Among persons aged 50 or older with past year SPD, 53.7 percent received mental health treatment in the past year, 6.2 percent did not receive treatment although they felt they needed it, and 40.1 percent did not receive treatment and did not perceive a need for it. Persons aged 50 to 64 with SPD, compared with their counterparts aged 65 or older, were more likely to have received mental health treatment (57.8 vs. 41.8 percent), more likely not to have received treatment although they recognized a need for it (7.9 vs. 1.3 percent), and less likely not to have received mental health treatment and not to have recognized a need for it (34.2 vs. 56.8 percent).