Old Before Their Time
People living with serious mental health conditions (SMHC) are more likely to have long-term health issues at a younger age, increasing their risk of dying prematurely. While much is understood about the health risks in this population, we don't understand as much about how aging affects their ability to do everyday activities like walking up steps or bending over. People with SMHC tend to move around less and may not be as strong or flexible as others. In a recent study, we compared the physical abilities of middle-aged adults with SMHC to those of older adults and found that the SMHC group had physical functioning similarly to people 20-30 years older than their actual age. This suggests that mental health and aging services may need to help middle-aged and older adults with SMHC become more physically active. Declining physical abilities can affect everyday life skills, independence, housing, work options, and personal goals. This presentation will discuss findings and offer practical recommendations for interventions and policies.
Michelle R. Zechner, PhD, LSW, CPRP is an Associate Professor at Rutgers School of Health Professions in the Dept. of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions, where she conducts research, teaches, and has special expertise in aging with mental health conditions. Her research focuses on multi-dimensional wellness interventions and inter-professional initiatives to improve health outcomes for people with mental health conditions. Dr. Zechner has worked in outpatient and inpatient mental health, nursing homes, and community aging services. She develops multi-platform educational content for various workforce development initiatives and is passionate about mental health recovery and aging well for all people.
This webinar is part of the Making Sense of S.I.L.V.E.R. Research (MSSR) series, highlighting recent research related to aging with a psychiatric disability. Each webinar is designed to discuss a recently published study in a clear and relevant way, even if you know little or nothing about research.
MSSR webinars are also available as podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube Music
This event was supported by funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this project do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
