Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
03:59
Therapeutic Massage for Psychological Well-being in Geriatric Oncology
Published on: May 22, 2026
Geriatric psychiatry--an emerging specialty.
1Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, USA. grossbgt@slu.edu
Missouri Medicine
|February 16, 2011
Summary
Geriatric psychiatry is growing in the US and Missouri, facing workforce needs and evolving treatments for psycho-geriatric syndromes.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Mental Health Services Research
Background:
- The field of geriatric psychiatry has significantly evolved.
- There is a growing demand for specialized mental health care for older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the historical development of geriatric psychiatry in the US and Missouri.
- To assess current and future workforce requirements for geriatric psychiatrists.
- To examine recent advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of psycho-geriatric syndromes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of geriatric psychiatry.
- Analysis of workforce needs and trends.
- Synthesis of current research on psycho-geriatric syndromes and treatments.
Main Results:
- Geriatric psychiatry has emerged as a critical subspecialty.
- Significant needs exist for trained geriatric psychiatrists.
- New therapeutic approaches are available for conditions like dementia and late-life depression.
Conclusions:
- Geriatric psychiatry is essential for addressing the mental health needs of an aging population.
- Addressing workforce shortages is crucial for expanding access to care.
- Continued research into psycho-geriatric syndromes will improve patient outcomes.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
As individuals age, their body's physiology evolves, affecting drug pharmacokinetics. The most apparent changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract, where an increase in gastric pH, a delay in gastric emptying, and a reduction in gastrointestinal motility are observed. Remarkably, these changes do not substantially modify the absorption of orally administered drugs, particularly those absorbed via passive diffusion.Transdermal drug delivery emerges as a highly viable method for older adults due...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion
In geriatric patients, renal physiology undergoes significant changes, including diminished renal blood flow and a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), leading to alterations in medication clearance. Drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, lithium, and digoxin, which rely on glomerular filtration for removal from the body, particularly impact pharmacokinetics. These drugs tend to have slower clearance rates in older adults, necessitating careful dosage considerations.Evaluation of renal...
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism
Geriatric patients show significant variation in how their bodies process medications, which can change how effective and safe treatments are. The liver is the primary organ where drug metabolism occurs, involving two main types of chemical reactions: phase I and II. Phase I metabolism is driven by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, which includes key types such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Research indicates that while aging doesn't notably alter the levels or activity of these enzymes, it...