Older Adults Health Equity

Older people face unique barriers to accessing mental health care and other social services, which can impact wellness in later life. At the same time, older people are resilient, with unique social support networks and a wealth of lived experience that facilitates positive coping. Our work focuses on ways to advance health equity for older people, such as through increasing access to mental health services, creative strategies for delivering intervention to older adults, and suicide prevention and intervention.

Publicatons & Projects

Publications and active projects related to this line of research are outlined below.

Using the Aging Services Network for Suicide Prevention

Westcott, J. B., Fullen, M. C., Tomlin, C., Eikenberg, K., Delaughter, P. M., Mize, M. C. B., & Shannonhouse, L. R. (2023). “We all have a stake in this”: A phenomenological inquiry into integrating suicide intervention in home-delivered meal contexts. Aging & Mental Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2023.2282681

Telebehavioral Health Services for Older Adults

Westcott, J. B., Castagna, N., Baker, M., Musci, J., Gowen, N., Wiley, B., Patterson, A., & Fullen, M. C. (2023). Connecting with clients in later life: The use of telebehavioral health to address older adults’ mental health needs. ADULTSPAN Journal, 22(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.33470/2161-0029.1144

Racial Differences for Pain and Suicide in Later Life

Shannonhouse, L., Hong, J., Fullen, M., Westcott, J. B., Mingo, C. A., Mize, M. C., & Love, S. F. (2023). Racial Differences in the Relationship Between Pain and Suicide Desire in Older Adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 42(5), 972–980. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648221145854

Wellness Coaching for Older Adults

Fullen, M. C., Smith, J. S., Clarke, P., Westcott, J. B., McCoy, R., & Tomlin, C. (2023). Holistic wellness coaching for older adults: Preliminary evidence for a novel wellness intervention in senior living communities. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 42(3), 427–437. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648221135582

Using the Aging Services Network for Suicide Prevention

Westcott, J. B., Fullen, M. C., Tomlin, C., Eikenberg, K., Delaughter, P. M., Mize, M. C. B., & Shannonhouse, L. R. (2022). “Listen closer”: Home-delivered meal volunteers’ understanding of their role in suicide prevention. Ageing & Society. Advance online publication. https://www.doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X22000368

Understanding Suicide Desire among Older Adults

Mize, M. C., Shannonhouse, R., Barrio Minton, C., Fullen, M. C., Shaikh, A. N., & Westcott, J. B. (invited revision). Loneliness, chronic pain, social support, and suicide desire among older adults: Implications for counselors as Medicare providers.

Select Conference Presentations

1 / Medicare Mental Health Law

Westcott, J. B. & Fullen, M. C. (2023, October 13). Medicare mental health law has changed, now what? Preparing counselors-in-training to work with older adults [50-minute education session]. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, Denver, Colorado.

2 / Aging & Ageism

Fullen, M. C., Westcott, J. B., Mize, M. C., Williams, J., & Boyd, L. (2023, July 29). Age & ageism: (Re)-defining the contours of multicultural competence [50-minute education session]. Association for Adult Development and Aging Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina.

3 / COVID-19, Aging, and Suicide

Shaikh, A., Shannonhouse, L.Carter, H., Westcott, J. B., Fullen, M., & Mize, M. (2022, October 17-21). COVID-19, suicide, and loneliness: Strategies to support older adults [60-minute education session]. The American Counseling Association Virtual Conference Experience.