Differences in social workers' attitudes toward younger and older adult clients

In order to assess differences in social workers' attitudes toward younger and older clients, members of the National Association of Social Workers were surveyed. Respondents (n = 695) read a vignette describing a client seeking treatment. The age, gender, and presenting problem of the client were manipulated. After reading the vignette, respondents rated the client on 20 semantic differential paired adjective rating scales. Factor analysis of the ratings yielded three attitude dimensions that social workers held with respect to the client: (1) global evaluation; (2) perception of client as anxious; and (3) perception of client as slovenly. A three-way MANOVA indicated no differences on the global evaluation factor between clients described as 35 years-old and clients described as 75 years-old. However, the younger client was seen as more anxious; and the older client was seen as more slovenly. In addition, responding social workers indicated how much they would like to work with the client described in their vignette, and how much they felt they could help the client. There were no significant differences due to client age in the respondents' desire to work with the client, but the respondents felt that they would be able to help the younger client more than the older client. Results were interpreted as indicating a need for social workers to become more aware of possible implicit attitudes they may hold toward older clients, particularly in view of the increasing proportion of older individuals in the population.