Older Women and Mental Health

The 1980s may well be remembered as the decade of the older woman. Older women, especially those aged 75 and older, are the fastest growing portion of the U.S. population. According to the 1980 census, 11.3 percent of the population are 65 or older and, within this group, there are half again as many women as there are men. Furthermore, over 40 percent of women aged 65 and older are living alone (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1978). The median yearly income for women 65 and older, as of 1980, was $4,226. More than 2.7 million older women live below the poverty line, with older women living alone overrepresented among this group (USDC, 1981). This large, growing and economically disadvantaged population is currently emerging from the invisibility it had been accorded in past decades.