Mental health of older people in Aotearoa New Zealand: Issues and challenges

Older people represent an increasing proportion of the population across most nations. The term 'older people' in Aotearoa New Zealand generally refers to people in the age range of 65 years and over, as historically 65 has been regarded as the age of retirement and thus provides a reference point for marking the beginning of "old age". This chapter provides an overview of the issues and needs of older people from a psychological perspective. Key issues such as the cultural perspective of older Maori adults, epidemiological issues relevant to older people in Aotearoa New Zealand, issues concerning specific older age cohorts, the role of psychologists in older people's care, psychological interventions used with older people, and the future goals and challenges of psychologists are discussed. This chapter does not attempt to provide an in-depth review but rather focuses on key issues of relevance to the professional practice of psychology in this area.