There are many people who have provided me with support, assistance, and advice in the completion of this research project. Many thanks to my advisor, Dr. Grace Caskie who has been a source of tremendous knowledge, encouragement and compassion to me throughout this process. My deepest thanks to her for always encouraging me to pursue research that I am passionate about, even when the tasks seemed great. I would also like to extend my great thanks to all of the other faculty members who I have worked with during the course of my graduate studies at Lehigh University. Each has taught me valuable lessons and skills, many of which I have been able to apply to this dissertation project. Special thanks to Alayna Berkowitz, who assisted me in the data collection process for this project. Finally, thanks to my family, particularly my husband and daughter, who have provided me with more encouragement and support in this process than I could have ever imagined.

By 2035, 25% of the growing older adult population may be in need of mental health services (Novotney, 2018; Vespa, 2018). However, only a small proportion of psychologists currently identify as geropsychologists; thus, the number of geropsychologists will be insufficient to meet these future demands. Identifying variables that explain the variability in current psychology trainees’ expressed interest to engage in future clinical work with older adults is important so that training efforts can be targeted and the number of geropsychologists increased. Based on a multicultural framework and intergroup contact theory, this study examined contact with older adults, empathy, and multicultural competence as predictors of counseling and clinical psychology doctoral trainees’ attitudes toward and interest in working with older adult clients. A sample of 311 doctoral trainees (234 clinical PhD/PsyD, 78 counseling PhD/PsyD) were surveyed online. Structural equation modeling tested the hypothesized interrelationships between study variables. The model showed good fit to the data (χ2(82) = 179.803, p<.001, TLI=.93, CFI=.94, RMSEA=.06, SRMR=.06). Greater contact with older adults was significantly related to more positive attitudes about older adults and greater interest in working with older adults. More positive attitudes was significantly related to greater interest in working with older adults. Empathy was significantly related to more positive attitudes, but to less interest in working with this age group. Increasing the amount of contact experiences with older adults as part of doctoral training programs in counseling/clinical psychology may help to enhance trainees’ positive attitudes and interest in future clinical work with older adults.

Despite growing demand, few mental healthcare professionals specialize in clinical work with older adults. A better understanding of factors related to geropsychology interest may increase the pipeline of future geropsychologists. Graduate-level trainees (N=460; 67.4% doctoral; age=21-64) completed the Fraboni Scale of Ageism, Contact with Older Adults Scale, six indicators of interest in work with older adults, and an imagined “typical” older adult’s ability to complete activities of daily living (ADLs). 60% imagined full ADL independence. Between 14.1%-25.7% expressed strong interest in education/training related to treating older adults and having some older adult clients; only 6.7% planned to specialize in clinical work with older adults. In regression analyses (R-squared=16%-32%), more ageist attitudes, less contact, and being a master’s trainee were related to less interest. ADL status was significant only for interest in specialization; imagining more ADL-dependence related to higher interest in specializing in older adults. ADL status significantly moderated the relation of contact to interest in learning about issues related to older adults; ADL-based differences in interest were non-significant at low and average contact, but at high contact, interest in learning about older adults was significantly higher when the older adult was imagined as ADL-dependent rather than ADL-independent. Findings may indicate benevolent ageism partially motivates trainees’ interest in learning about/working with older adults whom they imagine need more help with basic tasks of daily living. Increasing contact, reducing ageist attitudes, and providing more clinical opportunities with older adults may facilitate trainees’ readiness and interest in future clinical work with older adults.

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