Responses of 60 physicians to a questionnaire describing patients with obvious psychiatric symptoms were analyzed. Findings indicated that a physician's decision to refer patients for psychological assistance may be influenced unduly by patient's age. Old patients were referred significantly less often than younger patients with identical…

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.…

Studied the perceptions, expectations, and attitudes toward aging among students of religion and their graduate counterparts by means of structured interviews. Results revealed students had more positive attitudes toward young than old people, relatively low gerontological knowledge, and negative biases toward the aged. (RC)