Schizophrenia in older adults

Although the number of persons over the age of 55 with schizophrenia is expected to double over the next 20 years, the research data on older people with schizophrenia is limited. This appears to be because until the middle of the 20th century, it was assumed that mental illness in older people was a part of the aging process and older people are often excluded from research investigations. There is a need for nursing research to explore how people with schizophrenia, as they age, learn to manage their problems, as well as how those who are first diagnosed with schizophrenia in later life adapt to their illness. Mental health nurses need to be cautious in assigning premature labels to older adults with mental illness that may lead to unsubstantiated assumptions about levels of disability. Instead, they should realize individual potential regarding undiscovered strengths and should attempt to create interventions that recognize and foster personal development for older adults with schizophrenia