Transcultural Mental Health for Older Adults

Older adults from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities make up a significant proportion of this population. Around 1 in 3 Australians aged 65 and over were born overseas and 1 in 6 use a language other than English (ABS, 2021). Older adults are affected by a range of issues that can impact their mental health and wellbeing. In addition to the stressors that can affect all older adults, factors such as loss of language, cultural identity and social isolation can have a particular impact on the mental health and wellbeing of older adults from CALD communities.

This webinar will provide an outline of challenges and barriers faced by older adults from CALD communities in relation to their emotional wellbeing and discuss strategies participants can use to better support them.

Speaker:

Emalynne is a Mental Health Consultant at the NSW Transcultural Mental Health Centre (TMHC), working in the refugee mental health program. She provides support and training to mental health professionals, using her experiences to assist in developing services that are inclusive of culturally diverse communities, fundamentally understanding the specific needs and requirements of individuals with refugee and migrant backgrounds. As a clinical psychologist, she has previously worked with migrants and refugees across the lifespan in the fields of chronic pain, medical rehabilitation, and psychological medicine in public and private settings.