Conference: November 14, 2001
The Rights of Older Adults to Mental Health Care: What Are the Implications of the Olmstead Decision?
Michael Schoenbaum, PhD

Barriers to Depression Treatment

• Clinical features of illness -- patients are poor self-advocates
• Stigma associated with mental disorders
• Fallacy of good reasons (depression is seen as a 'normal' consequence of aging and associated losses)
• Lack of time and resources in primary care
• Lack of integration between primary care and specialty mental health care
• Lack of insurance parity for mental health care