09.10.17
Stigma leading older people to not seek help for MH problems, charity warns
Half of adults over the age of 55 in England experience common mental health problems, new research released today has uncovered.
The study conducted by YouGov on behalf of Age UK has found that the scale of mental health issues facing the older population is considerable, with 7.7 million people reporting symptoms of depression and around the same number (7.3 million) saying they have experienced anxiety.
Reasons for the problems varied, as 36% said that the death of loved ones was a crucial factor, while 24% stated that their own ill health was an important reason, with 27% adding that financial issues caused them to suffer poor mental health.
Worryingly, more than a third of adults also said they didn’t know where to go to get help for problems, leading Age UK to partner with NHS England to publish new guidance - ‘Mental health in older people’ - to help GPs tackle the problem.
Separate studies have also shown that feelings of loneliness and isolation are also a considerable factor in people feeling depressed or anxious, as three quarters of older people (72%) explaining that having more opportunities to socialise with other people would help them feel better.
Older people also tend to find it more difficult to talk about their mental health, as it was a more stigmatised topic when they were growing up, as depression and anxiety were often seen as a sign of weakness.
“In recent years there’s been nothing short of a cultural revolution in our willingness to be open about mental ill health, which is an essential pre-condition to people getting help, but it’s one that may well have left many older people behind,” said Caroline Abrahams, Age UK director.
“They grew up in an era when there was a real stigma associated with mental illness so for many these attitudes are deeply engrained and still driving their behaviour today.”
The charity’s director also explained that another barrier to older people seeking support was the widespread lack of awareness about effective treatments, beyond ‘taking pills’, which many older people feel they do quite enough of already.
“It is understandable if a lot of older people, having seen so much and having experienced so many ups and downs through life, take the view that feeling depressed or anxious is just something they have to put up with, not illnesses that are just as deserving of a proper medical response as a physical problem like a chest infection or a leg ulcer,” Abrahams continued.
“For some they will indeed be recurrent problems that they have long since given up any hope of defeating.”
And Alistair Burns, national clinical director for Dementia at NHS England, added: “Depression and anxiety affect nearly eight million people over 55, but can often go unnoticed and untreated.
“Older people mustn’t miss out on help and treatment because of a ‘stiff upper lip’ approach to dealing with problems, or because they aren’t offered or don’t know where to go for help.
“GPs are the first port of call for many older people, so we are equipping doctors and their teams to better spot and tackle mental ill health in older adults.”
Doctors from the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) have also said that the research is important to highlight the serious problem of mental health stigma among older people.
“Older people are potentially vulnerable and we have to be careful that we don't normalise depression and anxiety as a routine part of ageing,” commented Helen Stokes-Lampard, RCGP chair.
“Mental health is a priority for GPs and we work with people with a wide range of mental health problems.
“However, many older people still feel there is a stigma attached to talking about depression and we need to persuade more people that opening up and talking about their mental health issues is not a sign of weakness,” she continued.
“Anxiety and depression are potentially serious mental health conditions for people of all ages and must be treated as such.
"It is essential that we strive to give mental health the same parity of esteem that physical health problems have – in the NHS and throughout society - and in doing so reduce some of the unfortunate, and unwarranted, stigma that some patients face.
The research is also released the day before mental health day, on 10 October.
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