May Behavioral Health & Aging Newsletter |
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Welcome to OCEBHA’s monthly newsletter! Each month, we send out a newsletter highlighting some of the important news and applicable research in behavioral health and aging, and upcoming events and opportunities.
May is Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Month! This month, we’re hosting a Lunch & Learn webinar on the 4Ms for better older adult care, actionable research for practitioners on the potential advantages of cellphones for brain health, and the latest trends in behavioral health policy, along with select May events from our partners across Oregon.
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Spots are filling fast for OCEBHA’s 3rd annual behavioral health and aging conference, Navigating the Intersection of Justice and Dignity in Older Adult Behavioral Health happening September 15-16, 2026 in Wilsonville, OR!Â
- May Lunch & Learn Webinar: Meet the 4Ms: Better Care for Older Adults with Dr Katie Drago, MD.Â
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Join us on Wednesday, May 27th at 12pm for an introduction to Age-Friendly Health Systems and the 4Ms framework — an evidence-based approach to caring for older adults that focuses on What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility.
- Consider the normal changes of aging and other factors that confer unique vulnerability of older adults.
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Overview the Age Friendly Health Systems movement and explore the 4Ms framework.
- Explore the application of the 4Ms framework to behavioral health, case management and how it can support person centered care.
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Recent Research Highlights |
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The study found that older adults who regularly use smartphones appear to have a lower rate of cognitive decline than those who use them less often, suggesting that smartphone use may have more nuanced impacts on cognitive health.
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Researchers analyzed data from 57 previously published studies on technology use and cognitive health in more than 400,000 adults ages 50+ from around the world. They reported that there was no evidence to suggest that using phones raises the risk of cognitive decline. Instead, they found that using a computer, phone, or tablet appeared to lower the risk of cognitive impairment.
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Specifically, people who used phones, computers, and tablets had a 42 percent lower risk of cognitive impairment and a 74 percent lower rate of cognitive decline compared to those who used them less or not at all.
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Researchers theorize the link is due to using phones being technically challenging to prompt learning, requiring users to use their brains in multiple different ways like hand-eye coordination, and the social element of video calls and texting.
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- This article discusses the important roles Peer Advocates have in one psychiatric outpatient program and the older adults they treat.Â
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The Service Program for Older People (SPOP) works with older adult Certified Peer Specialists in its psychiatric outpatient program for ten years. The peer advocate who is also a contemporary of the client plays a distinctive role with older adults. Peer Advocate is a confidante, empathic listener, problem solver, advisor, escort for medical appointments, and role model.Â
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The peer provides assurance that clients can recover, heal, form new friendships, and even pursue a new career.
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An international team of researchers reviewed a large pool of past studies that explored the link between cardiorespiratory fitness and numerous mental health disorders. Their research suggests that better cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with a significantly lower risk of developing dementia, depression, and psychotic disorders.
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Researchers found that even modest improvements in fitness were linked to significant reductions in risk—about 5% for depression and 19% for dementia.
- This suggests that the benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness for mental health are not exclusive to highly athletic individuals, but that they could instead also be achieved at a general population level via fitness-based interventions.
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Behavioral Health & Aging News |
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| Brain health shaped by lifetime mental, physical, environmental and lifestyle factors |
According to a new American Heart Association scientific statement, more research is needed to assess how everyday factors from early life through adulthood influence brain health and affect the risk of developing cognitive decline, dementia or stroke.
The new scientific statement identifies opportunities to protect brain health and reduce the risk of stroke, cognitive decline and dementia by promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, improving environmental conditions, expanding health care access and increasing social support for mental health and well-being.
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| Loneliness may not accelerate cognitive decline in older adults, study finds |
According to an April study published in Aging & Mental Health, older adults who reported high levels of loneliness performed worse on initial memory tests but showed the same rate of memory decline as those who did report loneliness over the course of a seven-year period.Â
At baseline, 7.7% of the respondents reported high loneliness, 26.8% reported average loneliness and 65.5% reported low loneliness. In total, 92.2% were considered as non-high loneliness.
While lonely participants started with lower memory performance at baseline, they experienced a rapid decline in memory similar to that of participants in the low and average loneliness categories between years 3 and 7 of the study.
The findings suggest that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline.
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| Behavioral Health Policy Trends for 2026: What It Means for Older Adults |
Recent changes to policy will have major impacts on older adults living with mental health conditions.
This report examines the major policy developments reshaping 2026 and offers practical guidance for navigating these changes.
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Community and Partner Events | |
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May 4th, 4-7pm, Understanding and Preventing Opioid Abuse, Oregon Care PartnersÂ
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During this webinar, you will learn best practices to decrease the risks of addiction and overdose. An expert presenter will discuss strategies to ensure the security and accountability of prescription opioids to prevent theft and share tools and resources that will assist family and care professionals to provide the safest, most effective care.
- 3 CEUs, webinarÂ
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May 7th. The National Council on Aging’s 9th annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day SymposiumÂ
- Registration is free and includes a full day of sessions on how to best meet the mental health needs of older adults.
- May 7th, 5-6:30pm, Attachment Challenges in Older Adult Care, Oregon Care PartnersÂ
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Caregivers may be the primary source of support for older adults with chronic illness, cognitive decline, and disability. Often, these older adults have experienced trauma early in their lives, which causes difficulties in their attachment to others. This webinar will inform caregivers about the sources and nature of these attachment difficulties and provide coping strategies in response to these challenges.
- 1.5 CEUs, webinar
- May 20th, 11am - 3:30pm, Beyond Cultural Awareness: A Practice-Based Approach to Cultural Responsiveness and Equity, Oregon Care PartnersÂ
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“Beyond Cultural Awareness” is an introduction to exploring our own culturally bound beliefs. This interactive and engaging training fosters meaningful conversations and provides tools that support equity, embrace diversity, and encourage us to find real ways to be more inclusive. This training will provide opportunities to challenge, expand, and enhance comprehension of diversity and inclusivity, which in turn leads to more ethical and compassionate interactions and increased potential for equity, dignity, and improved well-being for all.
- Webinar, 4.25 CEUs
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May is Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Month |
May is Older Adult and Mental Health awareness month, a time to raise awareness and understanding about the intersection of aging and behavioral health.
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Facts about older adults and mental health
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- Every day, more than 10,000 adults in the US turn 65.
- Approximately 1 in 5 adults over 50 experience a mental health condition, substance use disorder, or both.Â
- 3% of older adults experience a serious mental illness.
- Fewer than 40% of older adults with mental illness or substance use disorders receive treatment
- Males over the age of 85 have one of the highest suicide rates in the country.Â
- Access to specialized mental health services for older adults is already strained and may not be able meet the future demands.
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Portland State University | Institute on Aging | Portland, OR 97201-0751 US
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