Psychological Practice With Older Adults

Document Overview

Document Title

Psychological Practice With Older Adults

Authoring Society

American Psychological Association

Document Publication Date

Mar 10, 2024

Page Last Reviewed/Updated

May 6, 2026

Document Type

Guideline

Country of Publication

United States

Full Text Freely Available

Yes

Full Text Guideline

www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/guidelines-psychological-practice-older-adults.pdf

Source Citation

American Psychological Association (2024). Guidelines for Psychological Practice With Older Adults. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/older-adults.pdf

Document Scope, Criteria, and Use Cases

Document Objectives

The “Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Older Adults” are intended to assist psychologists in evaluating their own readiness for working with older adults, as well as seeking and using appropriate education and training to increase their knowledge, skills, and experience relevant to this area of practice. Although “older adults” typically refers to persons 60-65 years of age and older, gerontological researchers and policy makers increasingly recognize that this demarcation is socially constructed, and is linked to many socio-cultural referents, including family status, lived experience, and health conditions that vary widely across generational cohorts and socioeconomic and cultural groups.

Scope

Counseling, Management

Diseases/Conditions (MeSH)

D005852 - Geriatric Psychiatry

D005852 - Geriatric Psychiatry

Keywords

older adults, psychology

Inclusion Criteria

Male, Female, Older Adult

Health Care Settings

Ambulatory, Hospital, Long Term Care

Intended Users

Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physician, Physician Assistant, Psychologist