Age Matters
by Brian Woods
The good news is that we are living longer and healthier lives. In 2014, the number of people aged 65 and older made up nearly 18% of the total UK population. Since 1974, the number of people in this age group has grown by 47%, (statistics from the Mental Health Foundation.)
The bad news is that we are letting older people down when it comes to the provision of mental health services.
Take depression, for example; the Mental Health Foundation has found that 22% of men and 28% of women aged 65 years and over suffer from depression. Yet some 85% of them receive no help at all from the NHS.
A report by the Centre For Mental Health, commissioned by Age UK, was published in March, 2024. In a blog summarising the findings of the report, Anna Iskander-Reynolds notes that:
“ …ageist attitudes underpin a system that discriminates against older people, while fatalistic assumptions about what people can expect for their mental health in later life undermine the provision of effective support to promote wellbeing, prevent mental ill health, and treat mental health difficulties. “
The presence of ageist attitudes in our mental health system can certainly impact on older people. For example, anxiety and depression can be regarded as just a part and parcel of advancing age. Older people are also more likely to be prescribed anti-depressants rather than the talking therapies prescribed for younger adults. This is despite the fact that talking therapies are very effective in the treatment of older people.
A number of factors can contribute to poor mental health in older adults. These can include isolation, reduced mobility, and poverty. Poor physical health and pain can also severely affect an older adult’s mental health. So too can caring for a spouse or partner.
Some older people, either by choice or necessity, work up to and beyond retirement age. If they are in an ageist work environment it can impact their self-esteem and affect their mental health.
Employers are often more likely to make an older person redundant. Competing in the job market against younger adults is very challenging. This can severely affect the mental wellbeing of an older adult, as well as that of their spouse or partner.
One initiative to help combat this is Elevate. This was launched in 2023 by the Centre for Ageing Better in partnership with FareShare Midlands. It helps older workers in the West Midlands through a redundancy support project, to find fulfilling employment.
This sort of project is a positive way forward. After all, older people make up a significant part of the working population. They should therefore be properly supported if they are made redundant.
I had to stop working when I was in my mid-50s due to mental and physical ill health. I also spent 16 years under the care of my local Mental Health Team. I can therefore appreciate what a struggle it can be.
We do not tolerate sexism, racism, or other forms of prejudice in our society. So why do we put up with ageism? Older people deserve to be treated with respect. They should also be given proper support for their mental health.
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