Geriatric psychiatry emphasizes the biological and psychological aspects of normal aging, the psychiatric effect of acute and chronic physical illness, and the biological and psychosocial aspects of the pathology of primary psychiatric disturbances of older age. Geriatric psychiatrists focus on prevention, evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders in the elderly and improvement of psychiatric care for healthy and ill elderly patients.

Education Resources

APA's Telepsychiatry Toolkit: Geriatric Telepsychiatry

Telepsychiatry's evidence base for geriatric telepsychiatry is substantial and outcomes have been positive in terms of satisfaction, validity/reliability, and preliminary clinical outcomes relative to in-person care.

FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry

A system for recertification, performance in practice, self-assessment and lifelong learning in psychiatry. Contents related to Geriatric Psychiatry.

APA Learning Center

• Practice Guideline on the Use of Antipsychotics to Treat Agitation and Psychosis in Patients with Dementia
• An Update on Neurocognitive Disorders for the General Psychiatrist: An Approach to the Assessment and Management of Dementia in Psychiatric Practice
• View the full APA Learning Center Catalogue for more on geriatric psychiatry.

APA Position Statements

Visit the APA Policy Finder to search for official APA Position Statements related to Geriatric Psychiatry. View Policy Finder  

APA Resource Documents

• Integrated Care of Older Adults with Mental Disorders (2009)
• Use of Antipsychotic Medications to Treat Behavioral Disturbances in Persons with Dementia (2014)

Practice Guidelines from APA Publishing

• Use of Antipsychotics to Treat Agitation or Psychosis in Patients with Dementia
• Practice Guideline for Treatment of Patients With Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
• Find a complete selection of books and publications related to Geriatric Psychiatry from APA Publishing.

Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Programs

• The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
  The ACGME Institution and Programs Finder lists accredited geriatric psychiatry training programs. Select "List of Programs by Specialty" and in the pull-down menu, select Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, and "view programs" for the full list.
• ABPN Certification in Geriatric Psychiatry
  The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc. (ABPN) is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to serving the public interest and the professions of psychiatry and neurology by promoting excellence in practice through certification and maintenance of certification processes.
• AAGP's Geriatric Mental Health Foundation's Scholars Program
  Developed to expose medical students and young physicians to the rewarding field of geriatric psychiatry in an effort to increase the number of medical professionals expertly trained to care for the growing older population.