Journal of Religion and Health

, Volume 32, Issue 2, pp 131–151 | Cite as

Trends in geriatric psychiatry relevant to pastoral counselors

  • Harold G. Koenig
Article

Abstract

This article is a general overview of mental disorders in the aged that stresses the complementary roles that religious and mental health professionals can play in meeting the psychological and spiritual needs of elders. Chaplains and pastoral counselors should be competent in recognizing serious psychiatric disorders in older adults and able to differentiate them from the more common and benign emotional disturbances. Both counseling and biological treatments have distinct but often overlapping roles in the treatment of mental disorders in the aged. When treating emotionally disturbed elders, religious professionals should be aware of new trends in psychotherapy and biological psychiatry that are now making the integration of secular and religious techniques more and more feasible.

Keywords

Mental Health Health Professional Mental Disorder Psychiatric Disorder Mental Health Professional 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Institutes of Religion and Health 1993

Authors and Affiliations

  • Harold G. Koenig
    • 1
  1. 1.Geriatric Evaluation and Treatment Clinic at Duke University Medical Center in DurhamNorth Carolina

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