Psychosocial rehabilitation and quality of life for older adults with serious mental illness: recent findings and future research directions.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The projected increase of Americans aged 65 years and older will have an unprecedented impact on the healthcare delivery system. As a result, new models to support individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) will become increasingly more important. This selective overview highlights recent reports addressing psychosocial functioning and interventions for older adults with SMI.

RECENT FINDINGS: Recently published descriptive studies suggest that poor functional outcomes and lower quality of life among older people with SMI are strongly associated with social isolation, depression, cognitive impairment, and chronic medical illness. Recent research on psychosocial interventions includes evaluations of three different models of skills training, a supported employment intervention, and cognitive remediation. This research establishes psychosocial rehabilitation as feasible and potentially effective in improving functioning and quality of life in older adults with SMI.

SUMMARY: Several important directions for future research focused on older adults with SMI are suggested by this overview. They include individually tailored rehabilitation, interventions that optimize social integration and decrease depressive symptoms, techniques that blend cognitive remediation with vocational rehabilitation, and integration of health promotion with psychosocial rehabilitation.