This collection of SIG 15 articles involves a myriad of contemporary issues related to the profession. First, Kanade, Strother-Garcia, and Rogers provide a review of literature on the impact of retirement on mental health and discuss its relevance to the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology. Next, Kanade, Strother-Garcia, and Parham discuss gender differences in self-reported oral health–related quality of life among older men and women at two Midwest senior centers using the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index. Finally, Jones, Jacobs and Ellis explore the relationship between social networks and poststroke communication outcomes using the Stroke Impact Scale communication subtest and the Stroke Social Network Scale to report differences among Black and White stroke survivors.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• describe the impact of retirement on mental health of retirees
• identify the differences in physical, psychosocial, and pain-related consequences of oral health issues between older men and women at two Midwest senior centers
• discuss the factors that contribute to disparities in communication recovery among stroke survivors

Assessment Type
Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

Articles in This Course

1. Retirement and Mental Health: A Contemporary Review of the Literature by Ashwini Kanade, Kristina Strother-Garcia, and Nicole L. Rogers, published in SIG 15, Volume 8, Issue 5, October 2023
2. Gender Differences in Self-Reported Oral Health–Related Quality of Life Among Older Men and Women at Two Midwest Senior Centers by Ashwini Kanade, Kristina Strother- Garcia, and Douglas F. Parham, published in SIG 15, Volume 8, Issue 6 December 2023
3. Social Networks and Communication Impairment: Racial Differences Among Stroke Survivors by Jacqueline Nicole Jones, Molly Jacobs, and Charles Ellis, published in SIG 15, Volume 9, Issue 3, June 2024