Psychogeriatric research comes of age in developing countries

Abstract

Psychogeriatrics and psychogeriatric research have been particularly slow to take hold in developing countries. In part this is because the elderly constitute relatively small proportions of those countries' populations, and are thus of low priority for specialized services. A recent report in Science (Miller, 2006) addresses mental health needs in developing countries worldwide but does not include old-age mental disorders other than dementia. Similarly, an article from Brazil (Garcez-Leme et al., 2005), in another international journal, provides an overview of that country's resources and needs in geriatrics, but neglects to mention mental disorders or mental health professionals. Yet, these countries are aging faster than the industrialized world and have fewer resources with which to care for their mentally ill elderly. High-quality, locally acquired information will be essential for planning appropriate mental health services.