Interestingly, older adults reported sharp differences
between different types of mental health
services they felt comfortable with. Clergy, psychiatrists,
and psychologists were rated highly, while
nurses and social workers were rated considerably
lower. Several non-professional alternates were also
rated lower, including support groups, peer counselors,
and telephone hotlines. These results suggest
that older adults want access to the most highly
trained, doctoral level mental health professionals
(psychiatrists and psychologists), and clergy. These
preferences should be carefully considered in efforts
to improve access to mental health care for older
adults, since efforts at cost containment have frequently
emphasized increasing inexpensive alternatives
to services delivered by highly trained
psychiatrists and psychologists. Consumer preference
should be closely considered, since less
preferred services might not be utilized.