B-219 – Measuring Holistic Mental Health Among Older Adults: Using Explicit and Implicit Questions to Identify Mental Health Needs

Research Objective: A key challenge conducting international survey research about healthcare is ensuring questions are meaningful for respondents within each country and across all countries the survey is administered. This is particularly challenging for questions about mental health, which can be sensitive and stigmatized. Qualitative research conducted by SSRS suggests some older adults may be dismissive of the idea of needing mental health treatment, with many saying they don’t “need” mental health care, regardless of their situation. In the Commonwealth Fund’s 2024 International Health Policy (IHP) survey of older adults, mental health needs are assessed explicitly using the term “mental health,” as whether they have been diagnosed with a mental health condition or have accessed counseling, as well as implicitly, as if they have experienced emotional distress or loneliness. This study looks at how mental health needs are asked about in IHP surveys and how respondents across countries surveyed answer questions relating to mental health, to identify recommendations for assessing mental health needs through explicit and implicit questions in a cross-culturally age-sensitive way.