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Show: October 21, 2012:
- What guidelines dictate the treatment of childhood aggression?
- Can early pet exposure reduce allergies?
- What mental health and substance abuse issues do baby boomers face?
- Does environment affect food consumption?
- Besides humans, what other mammal can be infected by West Nile Virus?
- How does the bond between an animal and a human benefit human health?
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What mental health and substance abuse issues do baby boomers face?
Host: Barbara Lewis
Interview: Christopher Callahan, M.D., Director of the Indiana University Center for Aging Research.
With the senior population expected to reach 72.1 million by 2030, a new report suggests that our current health system will be overwhelmed by the number of seniors seeking treatment for mental and substance abuse disorders. Currently, at least 5.6 million to 8 million older adults in America -- nearly one in five -- suffer from one or more mental health or substance abuse conditions, and that number will continue to grow. Christopher Callahan, M.D., director of the Indiana University Center for Aging Research, talks about typical mental health issues, not including Alzheimer’s disease, for older people and their consequences, and the ability of today’s health care system to address the mental health needs of a growing senior population. Callahan is one of the authors of the report titled, “The Mental Health and Substance Use Workforce for Older Adults: In Whose Hands?”
Additional Resources:
- A full copy of report, "The Mental Health and Substance Use Workforce for Older Adults: In Whose Hands?," can be accessed here.
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