The United States is experiencing a rapid demographic shift; the population of individuals aged 65 and older is projected to nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023). This growth will be most pronounced among racially and ethnically diverse groups, with Latino older adults representing the fastest-growing racial/ethnic subgroup (Administration for Community Living, 2021). These projected demographic changes underscore the need for culturally responsive behavioral health services for older adults. Age is increasingly recognized as a dimension of cultural diversity that intersects with other facets, including race, ethnicity, and health disparities, underscoring the importance of professional development for both generalists and specialists working with older adults (Graham & Moye, 2023).
Over the past two decades, frameworks such as the Pikes Peak Model and the Council of Professional Geropsychology Training Programs have helped articulate essential competencies for generalist psychologists working with older adults. Significant gaps in professional knowledge and clinical skills, however, remain (Hinrichsen & Emery-Tiburcio, 2022). Despite the growing demand among older adults for mental health services, less than 2% of licensed psychologists identify geropsychology as their specialty (Moye et al., 2019). This low rate is despite the finding that psychologists who work with older adults rate their experiences as highly positive, and more positive than clinical work with children and adolescents (Band et al., 2025). Most psychologists receive limited formal training in work with older adults (Graham & Moye, 2023), leaving continuing education (CE) as a primary means of developing foundational competencies. Continuing education thus plays a crucial role in strengthening the behavioral health workforce, including for ABPP specialists who provide clinical care to older adults and family care partners.
We recently surveyed psychologists to better understand their level of interest in professional development related to aging. A printed survey was mailed to a random sample of 800 licensed psychologists from predominantly Hispanic counties in Texas and California (i.e., with a Hispanic population > 50%). From 800 mailed packets, 251 psychologists (31.4%) completed and returned surveys via mail or online. Psychologists reported demographic and professional characteristics, prior training in aging, and CE interests across 24 possible topics relevant to clinical work with older adults.
Responses
The final sample was diverse in terms of their demographic backgrounds, with 22% identifying as Latino, 12% as non-Latino BIPOC, and 66% as non-Latino White. The majority of psychologists were female (61%), and two-thirds reported providing clinical services to older adults in the previous year (i.e., 52.2% psychotherapy, 38.6% assessment). These data allow for both whole-sample analyses and comparisons across ethnic subgroups. Participants reported strong interests in aging-related CE. Across all 251 respondents, the top areas of interest were grief/bereavement/end-of-life issues (61%), medically ill older adults (53%), later-life depression (51.8%), and dementia/neurocognitive disorders (51.8%). These preferences suggest a widespread acknowledgment that aging entails medical, psychological, and social changes. Just over half (56.6%) reported participating in workshops and webinars on aging topics, while fewer (45%) had completed graduate-level coursework in aging. Practica, internship rotations, and postgraduate training in geropsychology were all rare (i.e., <20% in each category). This highlights the ongoing need for continuing education to promote competencies for clinical work with older adults.
Subgroup Comparisons
Although the overall pattern of CE interest was similar across groups, subgroup differences added nuance. Psychologists who identified as Latino (M = 10.24, SD = 6.66), selected significantly more CE topics than non-Latino White (M = 7.51, SD = 5.84) psychologists, t(218) = 2.90, p= .004. Cohen’s d = .45, which is indicative of a moderate effect size. The number of CE topics endorsed by Latino psychologists showed a non-significant trend towards having a higher average number of selected issues compared to non-Latino BIPOC (M = 7.87, SD = 4.98) psychologists (t(77) = 1.87, p = .07, with equal variances not assumed. Compared to others, Latino psychologists also expressed exceptionally high interest in grief/bereavement/end-of-life care (76.4%; χ²(2, 251) = 7.69, p = .02) and in aging in culturally diverse populations (67.3%; χ²(2, 251) = 8.51, p = .014).
Discussion: Implications for Workforce Development
Our study highlights several key insights. Across the full sample, there is a strong interest in aging-related continuing education across a range of topics. This finding is notable given that most respondents were generalist psychologists, rather than specialists. An implication for strengthening the psychology workforce is that presenters of a range of continuing education offerings should incorporate at least some aging-specific content into their webinars and workshops, providing a lifespan developmental perspective. A lifespan perspective is as relevant to professional training related to parenting in clinical child psychology, given the strong involvement of custodial grandparents across the US, as it is to any other specialty. State psychological associations and national organizations can expand offerings in these domains to address widely shared needs. Leaders from the American Board of Geropsychology are available to provide recommendations and guidance, as needed, on aging content to be embedded in training curricula. In light of the strong interest in dementia across participants (52%), for example, professional resources for gerontological assessment (Mast et al., 2022) and practice guidelines for the evaluation of dementia and age-related cognitive change (American Psychological Association, 2021) are especially important.
Subgroup comparisons reveal that Latino psychologists may bring distinctive perspectives to their training needs, reflecting cultural values such as familismo and respeto, which emphasize strong intergenerational ties and respect for elders (Campos & Kim, 2017). Greater interest in grief/bereavement and in multicultural aging training among Latino participants suggests that cultural identity informs professional development priorities. Although the absolute differences across groups were modest, they highlight the importance of integrating multicultural perspectives into CE programming. Incorporating cultural values such as familismo, for example, into grief interventions may enhance their relevance to Latino providers and their patients (Laine et al., 2025). Likewise, older adults may face acculturation challenges, isolation, and unique stressors related to immigration history, which can affect mental health and coping strategies. Professional development that addresses the intersection of aging, culture, and family systems will enrich providers’ competencies.
Importantly, all of the psychologists in this study practiced in counties with large Hispanic populations, likely increasing their contact with ethnically diverse older adults. This practice setting context may have heightened awareness of grief, migration-related loss, and cultural diversity as clinical issues. We hope that these participants, along with all psychologists, view the aging process as involving as many gains as losses and have not succumbed to misleading, ageist societal beliefs that equate aging with loss and frailty. Embedding competencies for clinical work with older adults into ongoing professional development aligns with broader initiatives to prepare psychologists for board certification and lifelong learning. APA’s updated Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Older Adults (American Psychological Association, 2024; Emery-Tiburcio et al., in press) emphasize the importance of cultural responsiveness and foundational knowledge in geropsychology. Psychotherapy resources, including client worksheets (Steffen et al., 2021a) and clinician guides (Steffen et al., 2021b), are available to support this essential work. Expanding CE opportunities that span the entire adult lifespan ensures that both nonspecialist and specialist psychologists are better equipped to serve an aging, diverse U.S. population, thereby bridging current training gaps while addressing professional interests and practice guidelines.
References
Administration for Community Living. (2021). 2020 Profile of Hispanic Americans age 65 and older. https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/Profile%20of%20OA/HispanicProfileReport2021.pdf
American Psychological Association (2021). Guidelines for the Evaluation of Dementia and Age-Related Cognitive Change https://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/older-adults.pdfwww.apa.org/practice/guidelines/guidelines-dementia-age-related-cognitive-change.pdf
American Psychological Association (2024). Guidelines for psychological practice with older adults. https://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/older-adults.pdf
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Steffen, A. M., Thompson, L. W., & Gallagher-Thompson, D. (2021). Treating later-life depression: A cognitive-behavioral approach: Clinician guide (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780190068431.001.0001
U.S. Census Bureau. (2023). Projected population by age group and sex for the United States, Main Series, 2022-2100. Retrieved from www.census.gov/data/tables/2023/demo/popproj/2023-summary-tables.html
Arielle Guillod, MA
Correspondence: aguillod@umsl.edu
Amy Band, MA
Correspondence: amyband@umsl.edu
Ann M. Steffen, PhD, ABPP
Board Certified in Geropsychology and Behavioral & Cognitive Psychology
Correspondence: ann_steffen@umsl.edu