Age UK: Mental Health in Later life

Age UK and the Centre for Mental Health have published a new briefing report, Mental Health in Later Life: Understanding needs, services and policies in England. The briefing summarises evidence from a brief literature review about the mental health of older people in England and the support they are offered.

Findings include:

• The mental health of people in later life has been overshadowed by systemic and interpersonal ageism: older people’s mental health needs have too often been disregarded, at both an individual level and in the development of health and care systems
• There is no national strategy or blueprint to help public services to prevent mental ill health in later life, to intervene quickly and effectively to stop problems from escalating, or to meet the needs of people with mental health problems in later life effectively and holistically
• The UK population is ageing, and people are living with physical and neurodegenerative conditions for longer. The mental health of this population is therefore going to be increasingly important for health and care services to address effectively
• There is a pressing need to tackle ageist assumptions and expectations about mental health in later life
• Mental and physical health problems have complex interactions among older people: having one increases the risks of the other, and poor mental health exacerbates physical health problems
• Having meaningful roles and opportunities is beneficial for both mental and physical health among older adults
• Positive social connections, including face to face time and safe and supportive networks, can help to boost people’s mental health in later life. This may be especially important for those who are unable to engage with services or communities through digital technology

You can find the full report here.