Health Bias in Clinical Work with Older Adult Clients: The Relation with Ageism and Aging Anxiety

ABSTRACT

Objectives

This experimental study examined health bias in mental health trainees’ ratings of work with an older adult client and whether differences based on health were moderated by aging anxiety and ageist attitudes.

Methods

Graduate-level mental health trainees (N = 488) were randomly assigned to read a vignette of an older adult client in good health or poor health, after which they rated aspects of clinical work with this client and completed measures of aging anxiety and ageist attitudes.

Results

Trainees rated clinical work with the unhealthy older adult client more negatively than with the healthy older adult client. Health-based differences were larger at average and higher levels of ageist attitudes when considering the appropriateness of the client for therapy and at average and higher levels of aging anxiety for perceived competence to treat and comfort in treating the presenting complaint.

Conclusions

Trainees’ health bias toward older adults may be magnified by higher aging anxiety and ageist attitudes. Training programs’ intervention on these variables may improve geropsychological competencies of future mental health professionals.

Clinical Implications

Quality of mental health care for older adult clients may be compromised when biases about older adults, particularly those in poor health, are not addressed.

KEYWORDS:

• Health
• counseling – therapies
• psychotherapy – therapies
• psychological assessment
• social service providers
• aging

Clinical implications

• Trainees’ ratings of work with older adult clients may be more negative for clients in poorer health.

• Ageist attitudes and aging anxiety may magnify trainees’ health bias toward older adult clients.

• Graduate training programs could address trainees’ potential health and age biases in clinical work by providing education on the aging process as well as facilitating positive contact with older adults.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request by email.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.