Pensioners are THREE TIMES more likely to hide any mental health conditions than younger people due to old school British ‘stiff upper lip’
- YouGov surveyed 2,000 British adults for pensioner’s charity Independent Age
- 24% of respondents felt uncomfortable with people aware they were depressed
- Yet data from the NHS shows that over 65s actually have the best recovery rates
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Pensioners are three times more likely to feel uncomfortable admitting to a mental illness due to old school ‘stiff upper lip’.
That’s according to a YouGov survey of over 2,000 British adults for older people’s charity Independent Age.
They found that nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of respondents felt uncomfortable with people knowing they were depressed.
This is despite an explosion in interest surrounding mental health issues and data which suggests the elderly are more likely to bounce-back from poor mental health.
Data from the NHS’ Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme showed that over 65s had the best recovery rates among people of all age ranges.
Reticent: YouGov surveyed 2,000 adults for pensioner’s charity Independent Age, finding that nearly a quarter (24 per cent) felt uncomfortable with people knowing they had depression
The research comes as the Royal College of Psychiatrists unveils its new report, Suffering in silence: age inequality in older people’s mental health care, calling for the neglect of old-age mental health services is recent years to be addressed in the government’s 10-year NHS plan due to be unveiled next month.
Dr Amanda Thompsell, chair of the Faculty of Old Age Psychiatry at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: ‘It’s scandalous that old-age mental health services have been neglected for so many years.
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‘We know that over-65s can really benefit when mental health services are tailored to their specific needs, but in the last 4 years the number of consultant old-age psychiatrists has fallen by 11.8 per cent from 624.7 to in 2014 to 551.0 in 2018. This is despite our rapidly growing older population.
She adds: ‘The bitter irony is that some treatments – such as talking therapies – are most effective in over-65s, yet the stigma around mental health and fear of being thought less of by family and friends is deterring them from seeking help in the first place.’
George McNamara, Director of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age, said: ‘Although we know that many people wrongly think depression is an inevitable part of ageing, this doesn’t mean that they are more likely to get help.
Fact: Data from the NHS’ Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme showed that over 65s had the best recovery rates among all age ranges
WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
While it is normal to feel down from time to time, people with depression may feel persistently unhappy for weeks or months on end.
Depression can affect anyone at any age and is fairly common – approximately one in ten people are likely to experience at some point in their life.
Depression is a genuine health condition which people cannot just ignore or ‘snap out of it’.
Symptoms and effects vary, but can include constantly feeling upset or hopeless, or losing interest in things you used to enjoy.
It can also cause physical symptoms such as problems sleeping, tiredness, having a low appetite or sex drive, and even feeling physical pain.
In extreme cases it can lead to suicidal thoughts.
Traumatic events can trigger it, and people with a family history may be more at risk.
It is important to see a doctor if you think you or someone you know has depression, as it can be managed with lifestyle changes, therapy or medication.
Source: NHS Choices
‘Older people should be able to access mental health treatment and support at the same level as everyone else, but typically this is not the case. Older people’s mental health remains a taboo subject.
‘We all need to overcome ageist attitudes that disadvantage older people and give greater recognition to depression and anxiety which can exacerbate loneliness and social isolation. Something that can be easily prevented if older people are listened to and get the help they need.
‘The forthcoming NHS ten-year plan is a prime opportunity to address the growing need for mental health services for an increasing older population.’
June’s story
June Cooke, 83, from London, struggled with suicidal thoughts her entire adult life.
In the 1970s, she made an attempt on her life; she was rushed to hospital, had her stomach pumped and was shouted at by a nurse for wasting her time.
Mental illness, she says, is a particularly taboo issue among the older generations.
The term ‘mental health’ wasn’t part of June’s vocabulary until recently. She recalls how her great-grandmother would tell her mother: ‘There’s something wrong with that child – she’s not the ticket’.
June believed simply that she was ‘crackers’ – and it terrified her. She feared her children would be taken away from her and she’d be incarcerated in a mental institution.
It was only at the age of 76 that June was finally given the help she so desperately needed following a breakdown.
She was referred to the North West London NHS Foundation Trust’s Westminster community mental health team, began seeing a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
After a long road to recovery, June says that she still has her bad days, but on the whole she’s the happiest she’s ever been.
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