Description

Social disconnection increases risk for all ten leading causes of death, including suicide. Yet the healthcare system in the United States has not capitalized on social connection as preventive medicine: it is not routinely assessed and there are no clear evidence-based interventions. This webinar discusses evidence-informed strategies to assess and intervene upon social connection as a transdiagnostic factor to promote health & well-being in older adults. Special attention is paid to the role of social connection in late-life suicide prevention and the role of cognitive aging. Programs with evidence of efficacy, as well as resources for addressing social disconnection and suicide in older adults, are described.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

  1. describe three aspects of social relationships that are associated with better health;
  2. identify at least three evidence-informed strategies for promoting social connection; and
  3. select at least one community resource to share with older patients to promote connection.

Continuing Education Hours

This webinar recording is not accredited for Continuing Education (CE) hours. 

Time Frame

Webinar aired on 09/17/2024. Webinar recording will remain available indefinitely for participants to review and for everyone else to access and learn from. Continuing Education (CE) hours are not available for this recording. 

Target Audience

Open to all. Of special interest to those who are working with individuals or programs serving older adults, service members, veterans and their families and individuals impacted by problematic gambling behaviors or prevention of problematic gambling behaviors.

Presenter

Instructor Kim Van Orden

Dr. Van Orden is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She co-directs the Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide (CSPS) at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and the T32 postdoctoral fellowship in suicide prevention fellowship at URMC. She is the Principal Investigator of the HOPE Lab (Helping Older People Engage); her lab conducts clinical trials of suicide prevention interventions to promote social engagement and healthy aging. She is Co-Director of the Rochester Royal Center for Social Ties and Aging, which studies behavioral interventions to promote social well-being in dementia family caregivers. Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Aging, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kim mentors students and fellows, provides training and consultation in suicide risk assessment and intervention, and maintains an active clinical practice providing evidence-based psychotherapy to older adults.

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