Apomediation in the Psychology Today Online Mental Health Provider Directory: Representation Gaps for Older Adults’ Care in the United States
Kristina Shiroma, Lindsey Hartman, Victoria ManeevPurpose
Online directories play an important apomediary role in shaping how older adults find and compare potential providers. However, little is known about how this type of health information represents older adult needs and aging-related mental health expertise. This study examines how mental health professionals represent older adults and age-related care in their Psychology Today profiles.
Methods
We conducted a mixed-methods content analysis of 281
Results
We identified one overarching theme “Older Adults at the Limits of Apomediated Visibility” and four subthemes: “Absent Narratives of Aging,” “Token Mentions of Older Adults”, “Misaligned Descriptions of Expertise”, and “Generalist Framings Obscure Age-Specific Care”. These results suggest that apomediary signals of relevance may not consistently match substantive descriptions of provider expertise in older adult mental health care.
Conclusions
Findings reveal gaps between platform filters and profile narratives that may undermine the directory’s apomediary role, making “older adult” care appear searchable while obscuring the age-relevant information older adults need to make informed health decisions. Better alignment between structured search criteria and narrative self-representation would strengthen informed decision-making and advance equitable access to age-responsive mental health services.