Early detection of mental health problems in older people

This text outlines the role of risk-taking and self-harming behaviours in the development and detection of suicidal behaviour and mental health problems among adolescents. Risk-taking and self-harming behaviours are observable symptoms for underlying problems of emotion regulation, impulse control or interpersonal relationships and are sensitive risk markers for early detection of developmental trajectories of suicidal behaviour and mental health problems. Due to their easy accessibility and their sensitive prediction of mental health problems, risk-taking and self-harming behaviours have been included into programmes screening for adolescents at risk of suicidal behaviour in the general population. The principles and findings of those screening programmes are discussed. Professional screenings are time consuming for participants and create costs for the healthcare system, thus, longitudinal studies are needed to test whether screening programmes are effective in reducing suicidal behaviour among adolescents.

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9.L. Workshop: Mental health of older people

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.486 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

◽

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Nursing Homes ◽

Older People ◽

Older Persons ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

The United States ◽

Health Problems ◽

European Countries ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

The Impact

Abstract The world's population is aging rapidly. Globally, the population of older people will nearly double in the next 30 years, from 12% to 22%. Unfortunately, many elderly people are often vulnerable to the development of mental health problems. Besides the development of mental disorders (such as depression) or neurological disorders (such as cognitive impairment), they often experience several health ailments and loss of functionality, which negatively impacts their mental health and wellbeing. The WHO points out that mental health problems among this group of people are under-identified by healthcare professionals and by older people and their relatives themselves, and that stigma surrounding these conditions makes people often reluctant to seek help. Therefore, more scientific research and debate is needed on mental health of older persons, especially from a public health perspective. By bringing together researchers on this domain from different countries and background, this workshop aims to contribute to the scientific insight in this topic and finally to the improvement of the mental health and wellbeing of this growing group of people. In this workshop, research findings on the prevalence of (undetected) mental health problems and the impact of organizational, social and physical conditions on these problems, among older persons, both institutionalized and not, will be presented and discussed by five researchers from different European countries. Dr. Sunwoo Lee (Czech Republic) will talk about the demographic, psychosocial, and health-related risk factors for suicidal ideation among older adults in 12 European countries. Dr. Patricia De Vriendt (Belgium) will give a presentation on the unnoticed mild cognitive problems in nursing homes in Flanders. Dr. Henriette van der Roest (the Netherlands) will show the relationship between organizational adaptions in Dutch nursing homes and cognitive improvement and quality of life among older persons with dementia. Dr. Jutta Lindert (Germany) will focus on the impact of social stress and strain on the episodic memory and executive functioning of the “Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) cohort. And finally Dr. Mauro Carta (Italy) will illustrate the positive effect of moderate physical activity on cognitive functioning and general wellbeing of older people. Key messages Mental health problems among the growing group of older people are prevalent and of different kind. More scientific insight is needed on the prevalence and determinants of these problems, in order to provide timely and adequate support and prevention.

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Primary care management of older people with mental health problems

10.1093/med/9780199644957.003.0023 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Louise Robinson ◽

Carolyn Chew-Graham

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Primary Care ◽

Older People ◽

Care Management ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Age Groups ◽

Real Life ◽

Health Problems ◽

Care Systems ◽

Primary Care Management

This chapter discusses the presentation and primary care management of the commonest mental health problems in older people; these include delirium, delusions, depression and anxiety, and dementia. Primary care is on the front line in dealing with older people who have mental health problems, supporting their families to care for them and managing people with complex co-morbidities in addition to mental health issues. Older people consult their GP almost twice as often as other age groups and up to 40% may have a mental health problem. Cases drawn from the authors’ real-life practice are presented firstly to represent clinical presentations and management within primary care and secondly to demonstrate how primary care links with secondary care and the wider services. The management of patients is discussed largely within reference to UK primary care systems and policy, but the international readership should find parallels within their own healthcare systems.

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Sporting memories & the social inclusion of older people experiencing mental health problems

Mental Health and Social Inclusion ◽

10.1108/mhsi-06-2015-0024 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 202-211 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Michael Clark ◽

Charlie Murphy ◽

Tony Jameson-Allen ◽

Chris Wilkins

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older People ◽

Case Studies ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Community Settings ◽

Content Type ◽

Mental Well Being

Purpose – Social exclusion and isolation of older people and their mental health are likely to be more significant, interlinked issues for society as countries experience an ageing demographic profile. The authors urgently need to identify effective ways of addressing these challenges that can be easily mobilised to meet diverse needs in different settings. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of sporting memories (SM) work as one approach to help meet this need. This SM work entails the use of sports-based reminiscence to engage with older people experiencing mental health problems. To date this has especially focused on people living with dementia in institutional and in community settings. Design/methodology/approach – The paper sets out the SM idea and discusses lessons learnt from case studies of its application to meet the inclusion and mental health needs of different older people in institutional and community settings. Findings – The evidence from the application of SM work to date is that it is an effective and flexible means of engaging people to improve their social inclusion and mental well-being. It can be readily deployed in various care and community settings. Research limitations/implications – The evidence to date is of case studies of the use of SM work, and, although these are now extensive case studies, further research is needed on the costs and impacts of SM work. Practical implications – SM work is a flexible and readily adoptable intervention to engage older people and help improve their social inclusion and mental well-being. Social implications – SM work can be an important part of meeting some of the challenges society faces with an ageing population profile. Originality/value – This is the first paper to set out the SM work.

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The effectiveness of crisis resolution/home treatment teams for older people with mental health problems: a systematic review and scoping exercise

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry ◽

10.1002/gps.2686 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (12) ◽

pp. 1221-1230 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Sandeep Toot ◽

Mike Devine ◽

Martin Orrell

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Older People ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Home Treatment ◽

Crisis Resolution

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The Needs of Older People with Mental Health Problems: A Particular Focus on Dementia Patients and Their Carers

International Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.1155/2012/638267 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Joaquim Passos ◽

Carlos Sequeira ◽

Lia Fernandes

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Older People ◽

Unmet Needs ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Health Problems ◽

Association Analyses ◽

Dementia Patients

The problems and needs of older people are often associated with mental illness, characterized by a set of clinical manifestations, which constitute important domains for investigation and clinical practice. This paper presents the results of a pilot study whose main purpose was to identify met and unmet needs and to analyze the relationship between those needs, psychopathology and functionality in older people with mental health problems. A sample of 75 patients aged 65 or over, of both sexes, diagnosed with mental illness using ICD-9. The main diagnoses were depression (36%) and dementia (29.3%). Most patients had cognitive impairment (MMSE, 52%; CDT, 66.7%), depression (GDS, 61.3%), anxiety (ZAS, 81.3%), and moderate dependence (BI, 49.3% and LI, 77.3%). The main unmet needs found were daytime activities (40%), social benefits (13.3%), company (10.7%), psychological distress (9.3%), and continence (8%). The majority of these unmet needs occur with dementia patients. The majority of the carers of these patients had global needs (met and unmet) in terms of psychological distress. Findings also reveal that a low level of functionality is associated with dementia diagnoses. The association analyses suggest that dementia is an important determinant of the functional status and needs.

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