Psychiatrists have been reported to demonstrate a variety of negative attitudes toward older patients. This study suggests that certain personal characteristics of psychiatrists are associated with more pronounced negative attitudes. These characteristics include female gender, psychoanalytic theoretical orientation, and certification by the…

Presented 192 clinical psychologists with clinical vignettes in which client ages varied. Respondents rated older depressed and older agoraphobic clients as significantly less ideal than younger clients with identical symptoms and histories. Older depressed and manic clients also were given significantly poorer prognoses than younger clients.…