Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105861

Noelle M. Downing, MA, Positive Aging Resource Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 1249 Boylston Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02115, 617-525-6123, ndowning@partners.org and Sue E. Levkoff, ScD, SM, MS, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital/ Harvard University, 1249 Boylston Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02115.

The purpose of this study was to determine the key mental health concerns, trusted sources of information, learning preferences, and media preferences of older adults; to ascertain barriers to learning new information and behavior change; and to identify practical solutions for the challenge of mental health education in older adults. A series of 24 consumer focus groups were conducted throughout the country. A variety of methods were used in the focus groups, including brainstorming, role-playing, and poster making. It was determined that an ideal consumer mental health education strategy should include the use of personal stories of peers that have coped with, and recovered from, a mental illness. In addition, special attention should be given to role of mental health in coping with life changes such as retirement, grieving, loss of physical function, and an increase in medical costs. Additional educational tactics include placing mental health in a comprehensive view, to incorporate information on the challenges associated with aging. Health education campaigns should be constructed to have a similar look and feel to older adult's media preferences. These strategies were used in the construction of www.positiveaging.org. Learning Objective: Participants will be able to describe the qualitative research methods and will be familiar with the key elements used in the creation of a health education strategy for older adults. Learning Objective: Participants will be able to discuss the range of mental health issues that older adults deemed important, as well as their preferred learning methods and trusted sources of information.

Learning Objectives: