Monitor on Psychology - November 2011 - (Page 71)

training and education is fundamentally important in order to prepare practitioners to meet the needs of older people (Knight et al., 2009). Yet, to date few psychologists actually choose to specialize in working with older adults. This may be due to a fear of aging among psychologists themselves. Paradoxically, when Koder and Helmes (2008) investigated this finding, they found that specialist psychologists who work with older people may be at greater risk of developing negative attributions about aging than generalist psychologists. Since for most older people, aging is a positive experience and a satisfactory life stage (Laidlaw et al., 2007), there seems to be a mismatch between older adults’ reality and the attitudes of specialists who work with them. These specialists may be focused on the minority whose experience of aging is bound up with distress and loss and become biased by that. In summary, depression, anxiety and suicide are more common in the professional experience of the clinician than in the population at large (Knight, 2004). In the main, older people report high levels of life satisfaction, are better at emotional regulation (Urry & Gross, 2010) and report better emotional well-being and emotional stability than younger adults (Carstensen et al., 2011). Thus, we need more research into cognitive and affective aspects of aging to improve the psychological treatments aging clients receive and at the same time educate our clinicians about what to expect when they work with older people. Clearly, the demographic changes already in motion have profound implications for clinical training, education and practice for us all. n To earn CE credit for this article, purchase the online test at www.apa.org/education/ce/ 1360309.aspx. For references in this article, click here. About the authors Ken Laidlaw, PhD, is senior lecturer in clinical psychology at the University of Edinburgh and consultant clinical psychologist for psychology services Pachana Laidlaw for older people in the National Health Service, Lothian. Nancy Pachana, PhD, is a professor of clinical psychology and neuropsychology in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland. CE CREDITS NOW ONLINE More than 100 hours of CE Sessions were videotaped at the APA Convention and are now online. These digital video recordings include • synchronized, downloadable PowerPoint slides • a wide range of professional and scientific topics • CE credits using a new digital monitoring system; no CE tests required! Individual programs $25 (APA Members) • $35 (Nonmembers) Bundle package of 10 CE Session Recordings $200 (APA Members) • $250 (Nonmembers) To see the full range of CE sessions available and to purchase programs, visit http://apa.bizvision.com Questions? Call 800-374-2721, ext. 5991 (option 3), or e-mail cpe@apa.org. EXTEND YOUR CONVENTION EXPERIENCE! n ov e M b e r 2 0 1 1 • M o n i to r o n p s yc h o l o g y 71 http://www.apa.org/education/ce/1360309.aspx http://www.apa.org/education/ce/1360309.aspx http://apa.bizvision.com http://apa.bizvision.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - November 2011

Monitor on Psychology - November 2011
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
Guest Column
‘Grand Challenges’ offers blueprint for mental health research
Documentary seeks to reach parents of LGBT kids
Treating veterans will cost at least $5 billion by 2020
Selfless volunteering might lengthen your life
Combat and stress up among U.S. military in Afghanistan
South Africa to host international psychology conference
Study uncovers a reason behind sex differences in mental illness
Navy psychologist gives a voice to combat trauma
In Brief
Psychologist suicide
On Your Behalf
Journey back to Heart Mountain
Psychology is key to pain management, report finds
ACT goes international
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Time Capsule
Questionnaire
Science Watch
Behavior change in 15-minute sessions?
Health-care reform 2.0
Perspective on Practice
Giving a heads up on concussion
Practice Profile
Searching for meaning
Inspiring young researchers
Aging, with grace
Public Interest
Thank you!
APA News
Division Spotlight
American Psychological Foundation
The man who gave Head Start a start
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - November 2011