Baby Boomers, Mental Health and Aging Well (7 CE)

Course Level: Intermediate

Course By: Jennifer Kolb, LCSW

Jennifer Kolb, LCSW; Social Work Consultant, reviewed and determined the course meets requirements for continuing education in the field of social work. This course is appropriate for masters and clinical level social workers. Jennifer graduated with a Master’s degree in Social Work with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Louisville, Kentucky. She specializes in school-based psychotherapy with children and adolescents, as well as licensing exam coaching and preparation.

Content By: Janis Grant (Mental Health Foundation) This guide was produced by the Mental Health Foundation. Janis Grant served as the lead author for this review, with support from Sandra Grant, Toby Williamson, Paul Bristow, Eva Cyhlarova, Kathryn Hill, Katrina Jenkins, Simon Lawton-Smith, Andrew McCulloch, and Dan Robotham.

Course Delivery: Online, Self-Paced

Course Description: This course focuses on baby boomers: the people born between 1946 and 1955. This review sets out to explore whether the lives they have lived and their generational attitudes and behaviors have any implications for their mental health and any experience they may have of mental illness, as they grow older. Despite their positive health advantages and attitudes, baby boomers have poorer health levels than might be expected or indeed possible, with implications for the future. Many baby boomers have taken on caring roles, particularly in recent years as their own parents have needed care. This, together with the high profile of social care issues in public debate, has given them a critical perspective of care, plus an acknowledgment that they are unlikely to be able to count on public services for their own future care needs. Among people interviewed there was a mostly positive view about change through their lives, although mixed with concerns about future opportunities for younger people. There is strong evidence about the relationship between mental health and relationships. Isolation, loss or lack of family and friendship networks, bereavement and loss of emotional support, and living in unsupportive neighborhoods are all risk factors for mental illness.

Note: While this publication is based on UK research, the conclusions drawn from this research can provide useful information for a U.S. population.

Learning Objectives:

1. Summarize the benefits of integrating health and mental health services across the ages
2. Delineate the harmful impact of negative attitudes towards older people
3. Summarize the psychological, social and vocational resources available within the baby boomer population across all ethnic groups
4. Evaluate the benefits of a healthy lifestyle as a protective measure against some forms of dementia and cognitive decline
5. Evaluate the negative impact of health and social inequalities in older generations on health and well-being
6. Summarize key findings regarding the impact of employment, finances, social care, and isolation

Course Format:

Course materials can be downloaded or read online. To receive a certificate of completion, you must complete an online multiple-choice post-test with a score of 75% or better and complete an online course evaluation. 

Approvals: