Counselor Demographics, Ageist Attitudes, and Multicultural Counseling Competence Among Counselors and Counselor Trainees

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship among counselors' self reported multicultural counseling competence and their attitudes of the geriatric population. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between participants' attitudes of the geriatric population and their self-reported multicultural counseling competence. Implications for training and practice are provided. ********** Approximately 75 million individuals who were born between 1946 and 1964 encompass the Baby Boom population (Goldstein & Damon, 1993). In the year 2011, these individuals began entering the geriatric population. As the Baby Boom population ages, the geriatric population, which includes those 65 years and older, will grow to be the largest cohort in history. By 2000, 35 million individuals composed the geriatric population (Gist & Hetzel, 2004), and researchers expect this cohort to continue to grow to include 21% of the U.S. population--or 76.4 million individuals--by 2030 (Van Gerpen, Johnson, & Winstead, 1999). With the rapid increase of the geriatric population, greater attention to mental illness, elder abuse, and other psychosocial factors (e.g., ageism) within the population is likely, as counselors may be treating more of these individuals. The purpose of this article is to review these salient characteristics for working with this population and to explore the relationship between two constructs indicating counselor competency in multicultural counseling and attitudes toward the geriatric population. MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS Mental Health Considerations There are many mental health considerations counselors must be aware of when counseling individuals of the geriatric population. Dementia, depression, and suicide are prevalent within this population. Dementia such as Alzheimer's disease is extremely prevalent during older adulthood and may be the most prevalent mental illness in older adults (Zank, 1998). Overall, 5% of adults over the age of 65 years are diagnosed with dementia and 10% are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (Spira & Edelstein, 2007; Zank, 1998). In addition, individuals over the age of 80 years are diagnosed with dementia at a rate of 20%, and more than half of individuals over the age of 85 years are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Currently, in the United States, 4 million people are living with Alzheimer's disease (Spira & Edelstein, 2007). These individuals often have progressive memory loss; language disruption; agitation; and personality, emotional, and behavior changes (Abraham, 2005). Depression can lead to impairments in mental, physical, and social functioning for this population (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] & National Association of Chronic Disease Directors [NACDD], 2009). Overall, 2.5% of older adults meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria for depression or dysthymic disorder. However, 27% of older adults have symptoms of depression but do not meet the full criteria for the disorder. Older adults must often face the death of friends as well as partners, and, therefore, bereavement becomes a focus of older adulthood. Because of this, elders may experience increased depression. In addition, depression may also be exacerbated by illness and accidents, such as hip fractures or heart disease (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2000). For instance, 12% of older individuals who are hospitalized for illness and accidents such as these develop depression. In addition, elders in nursing homes are particularly inclined to develop depression because 15% to 25% of these individuals develop symptoms of the mental health illness (USDHHS, 2000). Suicide also greatly affects individuals of the geriatric population. Overall, 13 individuals 65 years and older commit suicide each day in the United States (Walsh, Currier, Shah, Lyness, & Friedman, 2008). …