Perceived Need of Mental Health Care Identified Residents, Administrators, and Direct Care Staff of an Assisted Living Facility

This study intended to determine whether there was disparity between the mental health needs of residents and the awareness of those needs by administrators and direct care staff of an assisted living facility (ALF). This study used the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children-Lifetime Version to assess 25 randomly selected residents for symptoms of anxiety or depression. The 7 administrators and 11 staff of the ALF where the residents lived were asked to complete a semi-structured interview, determining their perception of depression and anxiety in each of the participating residents. The results reveal that the administrators and staff of the ALF tend to overestimate the symptoms of depression and anxiety among the participating residents. Interestingly, according to the assessment instruments, the majority of participating residents exhibited a sub-clinical level of symptoms, and only a few met the criteria for a diagnosis. The semi-structured interviews revealed 2 themes of protective factors for many residents' faith and family support. The data also suggest that despite the staff's perception of mental health concerns among the residents, the ALF is deficient in offering or providing appropriate services. This disparity between the perceived mental health needs of the ALF residents and the services provided by the ALF needs to be addressed. The implications for future research and policy include further examination of how to engage ALF residents in mental health services, particularly if the administrators and staff are aware of a resident's symptoms.