Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Older Adults: A Scoping Review.
Kelly TeoRyan ChurchillIndira RiadiLucy M KervinAndrew V WisterTheodore David CoscoPublished in: Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society (2022)
Although older adults may experience health challenges requiring increased care, they often do not ask for help. This scoping review explores the factors associated with the help-seeking behaviors of older adults, and briefly discusses how minority ethnic populations can face additional challenges in help-seeking, due to factors such as language barriers and differing health beliefs. Guided by Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-AnalysesScoping Review guidelines, a systematic search of five databases was conducted. Using a qualitative meta-synthesis framework, emergent themes were identified. Data from 52 studies meeting inclusion criteria were organized into five themes: formal and informal supports, independence, symptom appraisal, accessibility and awareness, and language, alternative medicine and residency. Identifying how factors, including independence and symptom appraisal, relate to older adults' help-seeking behaviors may provide insights into how this population can be supported to seek help more effectively.
Keyphrases
- mental health
- healthcare
- physical activity
- public health
- autism spectrum disorder
- systematic review
- health information
- big data
- electronic health record
- emergency department
- patient reported
- machine learning
- randomized controlled trial
- clinical practice
- risk assessment
- social media
- pain management
- meta analyses
- adverse drug
- data analysis
- artificial intelligence