[The history of geriatric psychiatry at the University of Montreal: Pioneers, milestones, and future outlook]. / L'éclosion de la gérontopsychiatrie à l'Université de Montréal, une histoire à découvrir.

OBJECTIVES: Geriatric psychiatry became an official psychiatric subspecialty in Canada in 2009. The first board examinations from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) took place in 2013. Geriatric Psychiatry focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of complex mental disorders in late life, a time when the interface between physical and mental health issues often adds a new level of complexity.Little has been written on the history of geriatric psychiatry in Québec and in Canada. A lesser-known aspect is that from the 1970's onwards, the department of psychiatry at the Université de Montréal (UdeM) and its network of teaching hospitals have played a pioneering role in the development of geriatric psychiatry services and training. We seek to recount the history of geriatric psychiatry at UdeM, by tracing the milestones and identifying the main actors responsible for its development, from the inception of the department of psychiatry 50 years ago. This leads us to share reflections on some of the issues geriatric psychiatry is facing in Québec. METHODS: We interviewed several key actors, past and present, of geriatric psychiatry at UdeM. We read through relevant sources such as articles and monographs on the local history of psychiatric services, information bulletins and annual reports from hospitals and from UdeM, as well as other documentation from personal archives. RESULTS: One of the very first geriatric psychiatry services in Canada was founded in 1978 at the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, with a dedicated inpatient unit for new admissions of elderly psychiatric patients. A geriatric psychiatry outpatient clinic was inaugurated the same year at the Pavillon Albert-Prévost. Throughout the years, geriatric psychiatry services were also developed in the remaining hospital sites affiliated with the department of psychiatry at the UdeM (Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal), driven by dedicated individuals, in accordance with their respective historical background and mission. Clinical training is provided in each of these sites for medical students, psychiatry residents and more recently, for future geriatric psychiatrists. In 2014, the geriatric psychiatry residency program at UdeM was the first to be accredited in Québec by the RCPSC, as well as the first French language geriatric psychiatry program in North America. CONCLUSION: Geriatric psychiatry in 2015 is a burgeoning field, in a challenging demographic context. Despite the clinical need, major obstacles remain, particularly in the absence of specific geriatric psychiatry positions. Furthermore, the Québec healthcare system is going through a major restructuration in 2015, adding to the uncertainty. The 50th anniversary of the department of psychiatry at UdeM is an opportunity to underline the contribution of UdeM to the development of geriatric psychiatry in Québec, and to emphasize the specific needs of the elderly in terms of mental health care and geriatric psychiatry services.

Adjustment to community residential settings over time among older adults with serious mental illnesses.

This exploratory cross-sectional study examined adjustment over time of three groups of seniors with serious mental illnesses (N=33), who were transferred from a psychiatric hospital to a community residential facility from 1995-1998. The study participants had lived in the community for 6-41 months. Outcomes included measures of global, social, cognitive and ADL functioning, quality of life and rehospitalizations. Analyses revealed no significant deterioration in symptomatology, cognitive and ADL functioning between groups and a significant change in social functioning. Five participants were readmitted for short hospitalizations. Participants in all groups expressed a positive quality of life in their current community residence.

Discharging older adults with a severe and chronic mental illness in the community.

In recent years, a deinstitutionalization movement has been occurring in Canadian psychiatric institutions. Occupational therapists, experts in evaluating occupational performance, are key contributors to the selection of appropriate community housing environments. This study describes the global functioning, performance in activities of daily living, social behavior, cognitive status, and quality of life of 33 older adults with a severe and chronic mental illness, who were transferred from a psychiatric hospital to community facilities between 1995 and 1998. Evaluations were repeated five times, twice before discharge and three times after the transfer. Participants demonstrated stability in their global, social and ADL functioning over time. In general, participants required occasional intervention for management of social behaviors, moderate assistance in activities of daily living, and were highly satisfied with their community accommodation. The transfer to community settings did not lead to a significant deterioration in the participants' levels of global functioning and quality of life.