An Examination of Anxiety among Older Adults in Residential Care

Despite being one of the most common psychiatric disorders in older adults, anxiety has received very little attention within the growing residential aged care population. This thesis addresses this significant gap in our knowledge by examining the prevalence and correlates of anxiety disorders within this setting, as well as determining the current recognition rates and management strategies used by aged care staff and GP's. Moreover, to help improve the detection of anxiety among aged care residents, this thesis also identifies an accurate and reliable anxiety measure that can be easily used to screen residents with the hope of improving timely diagnosis and treatment.