Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Mental health and well-being in later life: report of a regional seminar programme April-May 2004
- Author:
- HEALTH SCOTLAND
- Publisher:
- NHS Health Scotland
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 28p.
- Place of publication:
- Edinburgh
The mental health and well-being of older people is a much neglected issue. Dementia affects 1 in 20 people over the age of 65, and depression is even more common, affecting up to 1 in 6 in the same age group. Other mental health problems are at least as common among older people as they are among younger people. Older people's mental health often falls 'between two stools' because research, policy and practice frameworks in the UK tend to focus either on older people or on mental health. Age discrimination and the stigma surrounding mental illness act as a 'double whammy' that disadvantages all older people. Gaps are starting to be filled but mental health problems are still too often seen as a 'normal' part of ageing. There is a notable lack of understanding of the wide range of older people's mental health needs and how they may differ from those of younger people. As a result, these needs are not being recognised or met.
Imagining transitions in old age through the visual matrix method: thinking about what is hard to bear
- Author:
- LIVENG Anne
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work Practice, 31(2), 2017, pp.155-170.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Dominant discourses of ageing are often confined to what is less painful to think about and therefore idealise or denigrate ageing and later life. The authors present findings from an exploratory psychosocial study, in a Nordic context, into three later-life transitions: from working life to retirement, from mental health to dementia and from life to death. Because, for some, these topics are hard to bear and therefore defended against and routinely excluded from everyday awareness, the authors used a method led by imagery and affect – the visual matrix – to elicit participants’ free associative personal and collective imagination. Through analysis of data extracts, on the three transitions, we illustrate oscillations between defending against the challenges of ageing and realism in facing the anxieties it can provoke. A recurring theme includes the finality of individual life and the inter-generational continuity, which together link life and death, hope and despair, separation and connectedness (Edited publisher abstract)
Early-life characteristics, psychiatric history, and cognition trajectories in later life
- Author:
- BROWN Maria Teresa
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 50(5), October 2010, pp.646-656.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The relationship between a history of psychiatric problems and cognitive function in later life is not very well documented. This study explores the relationship between psychiatric problems and cognitive function or decline in later life, and also attempts to identify populations more likely to be affected. The study applied a longitudinal analysis of six waves of the Health and Retirement Study data. Growth curve models were used to analyse the relationships between childhood health and disadvantage, psychiatric history, and cognitive function, controlling for demographics, health behaviour, and health status. The results indicated that a history of psychiatric problems is associated with lower cognitive function and steeper declines in cognitive function with age. The influence of childhood health is mediated by later-life health status and behaviours. A combined history of childhood disadvantage and psychiatric problems more strongly affects cognitive function, but cognitive declines remain consistent with those associated with psychiatric history. These effects are partially mediated by later-life demographic, socioeconomic, or health characteristics. The findings demonstrate that cumulative disadvantage and a history of psychiatric problems shape later-life cognition and cognitive decline.
Ageism and age discrimination in mental health care in the United Kingdom: a review from the literature
- Author:
- LIEVESLEY Nat
- Publisher:
- Centre for Policy on Ageing
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 80p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
The Department of Health has commissioned this review of ageism and age discrimination in the provision of mental health services for older people in the context of the European Commission Draft Directive (July 2008) - COM (2008) 426 and the passage through the United Kingdom parliament during 2009‐10 of the Equality Bill and related secondary legislation that will outlaw age discrimination in the provision of goods and services, including health and social care. Topics include: ageism and types of age discrimination; stigma, stereotypes and ageist attitudes; mental health services for older people; age discrimination in the treatment of particular conditions: common mental disorders, dementia, less common conditions, comorbidity; prevention and public health interventions; NICE guidelines and QALY; education and training. This review is one of four reviews of ageism and age discrimination in health and social care.
A 10-item Rasch modeled memory self-efficacy scale
- Authors:
- ZELINSKI E. M., GILEWSKI M. J.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 9(4), July 2004, pp.293-306.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
A 10-item scale to measure memory self-efficacy was developed from responses to the 33-item Frequency of Forgetting scale of the Memory Functioning Questionnaire (MFQ). Responses to the MFQ from 565 participants in the 1994-1995 wave of the Long Beach Longitudinal Study were analyzed. Rasch scaling procedures were used to select items that discriminated individuals' scoring patterns and that provided non-redundant information about responses. A set of 10 items provided a scale that was reliable across items and persons. Female gender, conscientiousness score, depression score, and list recall predicted individual differences in participants' scores on the scale. Age, education, neuroticism, and text recall were also reliably correlated with scores but were suppressed by the other covariates. The shortened test is predicted by the same covariates as the long version, indicating that it has similar construct validity.
Concise guide to geriatric psychiatry
- Authors:
- SPAR James E., LA RUE Asenath
- Publisher:
- American Psychiatric Press
- Publication year:
- 1990
- Pagination:
- 208p.,tables,bibliogs.
- Place of publication:
- Washington, DC
Contains sections on: normal ageing; diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders; dementia and delirium; anxiety disorders and late-onset psychosis; and other common mental disorders, including sleep disorders and sexual dysfunction.
What are subjective cognitive difficulties and do they matter?
- Authors:
- OPDEBEECK Carol, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Age and Ageing, 48(1), 2019, pp.122-127.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Background: Subjective cognitive difficulties (SCD) have been associated with a higher risk of developing dementia. However, there is large variation in the way SCD are assessed and in their associations with cognitive functioning. Objective: To compare the agreement of different SCD measures in identifying people with SCD and to investigate whether SCD are more strongly associated with cognitive functioning, mood, subjective age or background variables. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 206 community-dwelling people aged ≥65. SCD were assessed with individual domain specific questions and a multiple-item scaled measure. Performance on tests of memory, attention, and executive function, and ratings of mood, subjective age and demographic information were recorded. Results: There was some classification overlap between the five measures of SCD, however of the 64 people identified as having SCD, only one person appeared in all five measures of SCD and 34 people were classified by one measure only. There were limited associations between SCD and objective cognition, with more consistent associations with mood and subjective age. Conclusions: Tthe conflicting evidence regarding whether SCD are related to objective cognition and future risk of dementia may be due to different measures of SCD being employed. Careful consideration and standardisation is recommended regarding the cognitive domains and the reference groups for comparison, the response structure and the classification criteria. Longitudinal studies of SCD that include these considerations are needed to clarify the conceptual utility of SCD. (Publisher abstract)
Suicide in an ageing UK population: problems and prevention
- Author:
- HODGE Gary
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 17(4), 2016, pp.218-228.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: Suicide can be an emotive, and at times, controversial subject. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the social, health, personal, and cultural issues that can arise in later life and the potential reasons for suicide. It will analyse already recognised risk factors of suicide in older adults and focus on improving knowledge about the social meaning and causation of suicide for older people. It will also consider suicide prevention policies, their practice implications, and whether they are successful in protecting this potentially vulnerable cohort. Design/methodology/approach: A synopsis of available literature in the form of a general review paper of suicide of older adults. Findings: There is evidence that the ageing process often leads to a set of co-morbidities and a complex and diverse set of individual challenges. This in turn equates to an increased risk of suicide. There is no easy answer to why there is evidence of a growing number of older adults deciding that suicide is there only option, and even fewer suggestions on how to manage this risk. Social implications: The entry of the “baby boom” generation into retirement will lead to the potential of an increase in both suicide risk factors and older adults completing suicide. This is on the background of a demographic surge which is likely to place additional pressures on already under-resourced, and undervalued, statutory and non-statutory services. Originality/value: A literature search found very little information regarding older adults and suicide risk, assessment, treatment or prevention. (Publisher abstract)
Factors affecting timely recognition and diagnosis of dementia across Europe: from awareness to stigma
- Authors:
- VERNOOIJ-DASSEN Myrra J. F. J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20(4), April 2005, pp.377-386.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Timely recognition and diagnosis of dementia is the pre-condition for improving dementia care, but diagnosis often occurs late in the disease process. The aim was to compare facilitators and obstacles to the timely recognition of dementia across eight European Union states, in order to implement established policies for earlier diagnosis. Twenty-three participants from different disciplines, purposively sampled for professional expertise in dementia research and innovative practice, attended two focus groups. Stigma in ageing and dementia, accompanied by a sense that there is little to offer until later on in the disease, underpinned the widespread reluctance of GPs to recognise dementia at an early stage and were major obstacles to the timely diagnosis of dementia across all eight countries. Dementia care services varied widely across Europe. Countries with the greatest development of dementia health care services were characterised by national guidelines, GPs fulfilling a gatekeeper function, multi-disciplinary memory clinics and innovative programmes that stimulated practice and new services. Dementia-related stigma was perceived as being less prominent in these countries. Overcome of delays in the timely diagnosis of dementia needs more than specialist services. They should address the processes associated with stigma, age and dementia, especially where these relate to physician practice and diagnostic disclosure. Stigma is perceived as variable across European States, with a promising finding that its impact is relatively small in countries with the widest range of dementia care services.
Rural practitioners' experiences in dementia diagnosis and treatment
- Author:
- TEEL C. S.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 8(5), September 2004, pp.422-429.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
When diagnosis of dementia occurs earlier in the disease process, more time is available for treatment aimed at maintaining patient function and delaying decline, and for family education about the disease and its management. Primary care providers often, however, face challenges in making timely diagnoses. Nineteen practitioners in mostly rural areas of a mid-western state were interviewed about their experiences in diagnosis and treatment, to develop a more comprehensive understanding of barriers encountered by providers in non-metropolitan areas. Participants estimated that the time from symptom onset to diagnosis ranged from several months to one year, largely dependant upon family recognition. Limitations in access to consultants and limited or non-existent community support and education resources were major impediments to diagnosis and treatment, respectively. Like their colleagues in more urban communities, denial among family members, or families who were absent or uncooperative, created additional challenges for providers in making and communicating diagnoses and in supporting home-based or institutional care. Conversely, supportive and motivated families played a central role in positive patient care experiences. Participants agreed that support and education services were important for family caregivers, but generally had few resources to offer families, which constrained their ability to provide optimal care. Identifying challenges faced by rural practitioners is essential to planning appropriate interventions for consultative support and educational outreach.