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To bring awareness to the need for mental health support for older adults, NCOA hosts the yearly Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium.
The 8th annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium was held on May 1, 2025. This free event was co-sponsored with the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium 2025 Impact Report
The 8th annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium featured individuals sharing their personal mental health stories as well as those of caregivers and family members. The nine sessions also highlighted research findings on the state of mental health in older adults and promising programs and interventions.
A few event highlights:
- Almost 3,000 people participated in this year's symposium live
- Journalist and author Dan Harris served as the keynote speaker. He shared about coping with anxiety.
- Up to 4.5 continuing education credits were offered at no cost to participants for multiple disciplines including nurses, social workers, and physicians.
- For the first time, the symposium featured an interactive activity on mindfulness during the closing session.
Among the recurring themes of the symposium:
- Words matter. There remains stigma around mental health, and our words send powerful messages that can either support or worsen mental well-being.
- Person-centered care should be standard, and older adults should be actively involved in goals that matter to them.
- Strengthening social connectedness can reduce isolation for older adults.
- Our personal mission and values bring joy to our work with older adults.
This report includes summaries and key takeaways from each session.
More about Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium impact
| Year | Summary |
|---|---|
| 2024, Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium |
The 7th annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium was held on May 2, 2024. Some highlights:
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| 2023, Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium |
The 6th annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposum was held on May 11, 2023. Some highlights:
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| 2022, Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium |
The 5th annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium was held on May 16, 2022. Some highlights:
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| 2021, Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium |
The 4th annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium, the first hosted by NCOA, was expanded from the two-hour event of previous years to a full day and was held live online, 10 a.m.-5:15 p.m. ET. Nine sessions covered such topics as addressing ageism, what behavioral health access looks like in diverse populations, and the latest in substance use interventions. Some highlights:
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This project was supported, in part by grant number 90CSSG0048 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.
