Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Issues Pertaining to Senior Mental Health Care
Presenters
Alan Fung (he/him), MD, ScD, FRCPC, DFAPA, Sinai Health
Cindy Grief (she/her), MD, MSc, FRCPC, Baycrest Health Sciences
Linda Mah (she/her), MD, MHS, FRCPC, Baycrest Health Sciences
Maria Choi (she/her), BSW (Hons.), MHSc, RSW, Sinai Health
Abstract
Presenters in this workshop will illustrate different aspects of how EDI issues are relevant to senior mental health and care – an often-overlooked area. Dr. Grief will begin with an overview of the intersection between aging, mental health and inequity. The concept of intersectionality will be discussed, followed by illustrations on how stigma and ageism affect individuals with mental health conditions, and some possible ways to improve care for older adults with intersecting identities. Dr. Mah will then discuss the issue of diagnostic inequity in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, especially focusing on the impact of race and gender. Mitigation strategies to ensure diagnostic equity will be proposed. This will be followed by a presentation by Ms. Choi and Dr. Fung on the Mount Sinai Hospital Wellness Centre – an award-winning community-based mental health program that has provided culturally-sensitive and language-specific services to Chinese-speaking seniors in Ontario for over two decades.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Describe the concept of intersectionality.
- Discuss how stigma and ageism affect individuals with mental health conditions, and identify ways to improve care for older adults with intersecting identities.
- Describe the impact of patient race and gender on diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders, and discuss mitigation strategies to ensure diagnostic equity in these conditions.
- Describe an example of a community-based mental health program of an academic hospital that provides culturally-sensitive and language-specific services to seniors of a visible minority population.
References
Giardina, T. D., Woodard, L. D. & Singh, H. Advancing Diagnostic Equity Through Clinician Engagement, Community Partnerships, and Connected Care. Journal of general internal medicine 38, 1293-1295, doi:10.1007/s11606-022-07966-8 (2023).