Clinical geropsychology is a growing specialization, with board certification by the American Board of Professional Psychology, that attempts to meet the needs of the increasing older adult population. The Psychology Department at The University of Alabama offers a scientist-practitioner geropsychology subarea to prepare professionals for research and practice with older adults. Faculty within this subarea conduct intervention research (RCTs, pragmatic trials, demonstration projects) for older adults, dementia caregivers, and for individuals and families near the end of life, applied research in cognition, decision-making (medical, financial, and independent living), person-centered organizational culture change, quality of formal and informal long-term care, and clinical education and training with an emphasis on community-engaged work.
Research Topics
Specific research topics include
cultural dynamics (race/ethnicity, rural/urban) related to medical consent, financial decision making, and independent living capacity,
interventions to reduce the stress of individuals, family, and professional caregivers within the context of advanced chronic or terminal illness,
acceptance and commitment therapy and other mindfulness-based interventions for older adults,
ethics,
racial/ethnic and geographic disparities,
and clinical training issues (e.g., substance and opioid use disorders, empowering underserved communities to facilitate effective treatment delivery through community-based partnerships, health and mental health disparities, capacity assessment training).
