Dear Colleague, 

This year, 2021, is the start of the United Nations decade of healthy aging. This presents an important opportunity to improve the lives of older adults, including their mental health. 

As a global population, we are aging faster than ever. Currently, adults aged 65 years or older outnumber children under the age of 5 years. The World Health Organization estimates that by the end of this decade, the number of people aged 60 years of age or older will be 1.4 billion, with the majority living in developed countries. 

Misconceptions persist that mental health problems such as anxiety and depression are a normal or inevitable part of aging, and problems such as these can often go undiagnosed and untreated. Engaging with the older community and training healthcare workers is important to address this. Healthy aging programs focusing on positive mental health have shown that social connections, cognitive engagement, and physical activity are important contributors to mental wellbeing and offer much potential for an improved quality of life.  

This Special Issue focuses on the critical issues related to aging and the mind as we start the decade of healthy aging. We invite you to contribute with an original report, observation or review.

Dr. Karen Morgan
Prof. Dr. Tan Maw Pin
Guest Editors

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