ABSTRACT

The population of older adults is growing at a rapid rate. In 1999, the older adult population (65 years and older) reached 34.5 million (Administration on Aging; AOA, 2000), of whom 20.2 million (56%) are older women. These numbers can be translated into one in every eight Americans being an older person, representing 12.7% of the US. population. By 2030, the older adult population will grow to 20%, totaling 70 million older persons (AOA, 2000; Siegel, 1999). The growth of the population of ethnic minority older adults will be one of the reasons for this significant increase: It will increase by 219% overall by the year 2030. The number of older adult Hispanics is expected to increase by 328%; Asian and Pacific Islanders by 285%; Indians, Eskimos, and Aleuts by 147%; African Americans by 131%; followed by European Americans by 81% (AOA, 2000). This rapid increase in the population of ethnic minority older adults has instigated a mental health initiative to examine the impact of culture on mental health issues in general (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001).