We must focus more on the mental health needs of our older adults | Opinion
Mental health service utilization has experienced a notable increase among individuals 65 and older in the past year. The counseling practice where I work in Kansas City has seen a 27% increase in services provided to adults over 65, compared to only a 7% increase among individuals under 65. Globally, the World Health Organization estimated in 2025 that 14% of individuals over the age of 70 live with a mental health disorder and represent the second-highest risk age group for suicide.
Clearly, the mental health of older adults matters — a lot. Let’s explore some reasons why older adults are likely to be seeking support for mental health more now than ever before.
Awareness is a key factor in increased service engagement. Societally, we have done a better job in recent years of informing people about mental health and mental health needs. We see images of older adults in commercials, flyers and billboards informing people about mental health more now than in years past. Medical and mental health providers have also become more conscious of the mental health needs of older adults, and more effective at connecting them with services that meet those needs. Many of them also have adult children who have benefited from therapy and help encourage their parents to seek support for their mental health issues.
Access is also a component of mental health care that has improved substantially in recent years, with some of the largest gains stemming from the response to COVID-19 in 2020. Telehealth has been a platform for health care for several years, but the events of 2020 helped cement it as a permanent method for accessing health care. Individuals in rural or remote areas where providers and health care facilities are scarce are able to access care easier and more conveniently than ever before. Telehealth also allows people with disabilities, challenges with mobility or without access to transportation to access care with far fewer complications. When combined with an increasingly tech-savvy older population, this also amounts to increased ease of access for those over 65.
Medicare recipients have more access to care
Another component of access that has improved substantially in recent years relates to coverage for mental health services. Medicare, which provides health coverage for many adults over 65, has made some substantial changes to its policies regarding mental health services allowing for expanded coverage, reimbursement and access. In January 2024, Medicare expanded the range of mental health providers who are permitted to provide services to Medicare recipients making access to providers far easier for older adults as well.
A 2023 surgeon general’s report noted approximately half of all adults in the U.S. reported feeling lonely. A 2024 JAMA report indicated nearly 37% of older adults experience loneliness and 34% experience social isolation. They also face more unique challenges in overcoming loneliness compared to younger individuals such as limited mobility, limited access to transportation, distance from family or close friends and loss or lack of access to peers. Not surprisingly, loneliness and isolation contribute to higher rates of depression, anxiety and other mental health diagnoses.
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2025 noted 93% of adults over 65 have at least one chronic physical health condition and nearly 79% have two or more chronic health diagnoses. Our physical well-being impacts our mental well-being, and the relationship between physical and mental health is even more pronounced in older adults. As physical health conditions begin to develop or abilities start to decline, it is no surprise older adults begin to experience higher rates of depression, anxiety and even frustration. This is why a holistic approach to treatment is so crucial. While medical providers help ensure older adults maintain optimal physical health, behavioral health providers help ensure they are thriving mentally as well.
The aging members of our communities continue to set an example for all of us about how to navigate life’s challenges. A beloved friend and supervisor once told me, “Getting old isn’t for sissies.” By continuing to adjust to changes in health, society and relationships, as well as working to adopt new technologies, older adults are proving they’re up to the challenge of aging on their terms and ensuring their needs are met in a world that has not always given them as much time or consideration as they deserve.
Brienna Thompson is a licensed professional counselor with Thriveworks in Kansas City. She sees clients of all ages, including those 65 and older, for issues such as depression, anxiety, grief and trauma.