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Although literature has documented widespread negative and stereotypical attitudes held by healthcare professionals towards the older adults, there is a current paucity of research about the perspective of psychiatrists. We aimed to identify the attitudes of Tunisian early career psychiatrists towards the older adults. This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 71 early career psychiatrists. Data were collected through anonymous online surveys. A series of 4 point Likert-type questions ("strongly agree", "somewhat agree", "somewhat disagree", "strongly disagree") asked participants about their beliefs about older patients, the characteristics of the psychiatric care of an older person and emotions related to caring for older patients. Psychiatrists agreed that the older patient: is frail and vulnerable in 64.8% of cases, does not trust his psychiatrist in 28% of cases, has problems of communication in 36.6% of the cases and shows hostile or aggressive behavior in 5.6% of the cases. A multivariate binary logistic regression analysis found that clinical experience would play an independent role in predicting the following beliefs and attitudes of early career psychiatrists towards older patients: the belief that the older patient often has perceptual disorders that he is fragile and vulnerable, that he often requires polypharmacy, and that his management exposes the psychiatrist to painful emotional experiences. Given the population aging, early career psychiatrists need to be equipped with skills to fulfil significant roles in responding to future health and support needs. Integrating clinical training in psychogeriatrics into the psychiatric curriculum is strongly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are very little data on the burden among caregivers of older adults with severe mental diseases. We aimed to assess the perceived burden among caregivers of family members with schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar disorders. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 52 older patients with schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar disorders and their family caregivers. Caregivers were assessed with the medical outcome survey short form (SF-36), the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and the Depression Anxiety and Stress scales (DASS-21). Caregivers' mental quality of life was impaired with an average mental score of 59.05. For a threshold value of 17, the level of perceived burden was considered as high for 42.3% of caregivers. After controlling for demographic variables (age and gender) and patients' health-related variables (level of dependency, comorbidities, age onset of illness, number of hospitalizations and duration of clinical remission), caregivers' levels of depression, stress, and SF-36 physical component significantly contributed to their perceived burden. Certain modifiable risk factors play an inescapable role in increasing the level of burden among caregivers of older patients with serious mental illnesses. Improving the quality of life and psychological well-being of family caregivers should be considered an integral part of treatment for serious mental illness in older adult patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]