As the proportion and sheer number of older adults in the United States continues to increase, we need to plan for their behavioral health care. Access to accurate data about current workforce characteristics in psychology can provide essential information to inform workforce planning. In this paper, we present results of the American Psychological Association’s Center for Workforce Studies survey of psychologists, with a focus on older adults. Participants (N = 4,109) were doctoral psychologists identified through state licensing boards. Only 1.2% of those surveyed described geropsychology as their specialty area, although 37.2% reported seeing older adults frequently or very frequently, most often from the specialties of rehabilitation psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and clinical health psychology. Frequent providers of aging services were more likely to be older, nonethnic minority, working in independent practice as their primary work setting, and self-employed as compared to other respondents. In addition, frequent providers of services to older adults were more likely to be in practices colocated with medical professionals and to accept Medicare as payment. Low reimbursement rates were cited as a reason for not accepting Medicare by those who did not. There was strong interest in further education in aging from all psychologists in areas including adjustment to medical illness/disability, depression, bereavement, dementia, anxiety, psychotherapy, and caregiver stress. The results of this survey suggest a continued urgent need to train psychologists across subfields in foundational geropsychology competencies that all psychologists should possess to be prepared for the rapidly growing and increasingly diverse population of older adults.

中文翻译：

---

对老年人心理实践的劳动力分析：日益严重的危机需要紧急行动。

随着美国老年人的比例和绝对数量不断增加，我们需要为他们的行为保健计划。获取有关当前心理学劳动力特征的准确数据可以为劳动力规划提供必要的信息。在本文中，我们展示了美国心理学会劳动力研究中心的心理学家调查结果，重点是老年人。参与者（N = 4,109）是通过州许可委员会确定的博士心理学家。只有 1.2% 的受访者将老年心理学描述为他们的专业领域，但 37.2% 的人报告说经常或非常频繁地看到老年人，最常见的是康复心理学、临床神经心理学和临床健康心理学等专业。与其他受访者相比，经常提供老龄化服务的人更有可能是年龄较大、非少数民族、以独立实践为主要工作环境和自雇人士。此外，经常为老年人提供服务的人更有可能与医疗专业人员共处一地，并接受医疗保险作为付款。低报销率被认为是那些不接受医疗保险的人不接受医疗保险的一个原因。所有心理学家都对老龄问题的进一步教育产生了浓厚的兴趣，包括适应医疗疾病/残疾、抑郁、丧亲之痛、痴呆、焦虑、心理治疗和照顾者压力。