"Deeply entrenched and systemic" ageism means the elderly can miss out on mental health care, a report has said, with symptoms of mental illness dismissed as "just your age".
A study by the Centre for Mental Health has called for older generations to be shown the same concern as young people, warning the discrimination suffered currently affects not only the older person, but also families, communities and public services.
The centre's report, commissioned by Age UK, was based on a review of literature published in the past five years, and pointed to a "pervasive sense of pessimism and inevitability that normalises poor mental health" among older people.
Issued on Tuesday, it identified a "pressing need to tackle ageist assumptions and expectations about mental health in later life".
Part of the problem, the authors said, was older people tend to be invisible in both mental health care services and policymaking, noting there was little in the way of "research and policy development".
With no national strategy or blueprint to help public services prevent mental ill health in later life and an ageing population, they said it will be "increasingly important for health and care services to address [elderly mental health] effectively".
Andy Bell, chief executive at the Centre for Mental Health, said:
"Recent reports have pointed to a deeply worrying rise in poor mental health among young people.
"We want to see similar concern for older generations, so that their experiences of poor mental health are no longer dismissed as an inevitable part of ageing."
Ageism, he said, is "deeply entrenched and systemic, and it is causing people to miss out on a mentally healthier later life".
He said: "The absence of later life from successive national mental health plans means there has been little investment in support for older people's mental health. This is a form of discrimination that leaves older people without effective help."
Paul Farmer, chief executive at Age UK, said poor mental health in later life was not an inevitable part of ageing.
He said:
"There is a paradox at the core of mental health support for older people; under-recognised on the one hand and low mood and depression treated as 'just your age' on the other.
"In either case, the outcome is the same, too many of us going without the care we need to maintain good mental wellbeing as we age."
Research funders should prioritise projects looking at mental health in later life, while integrated care boards (ICBs) review their provision of mental health support for older adults, and staff trained to address ageist attitudes, the report said.
And if NHS England reviewed the effectiveness of the 2019 Community Mental Health Framework for Adults and Older Adults, it should ensure any new planning provides for mental health care in later life.
(c) Sky News 2024: 'Deeply entrenched' ageism limits mental health care for elderly, report says
Funding Available For Tree Planting In Chichester District as National Tree Week Begins
West Sussex Firefighters And Emergency Services Carry Out Training Exercise In Chichester Harbour
Shoreham Lifeboat’s Festive Look Boosted By Family-Run Business
Final Touches Being Made To £2m Sussex Wastewater Site Upgrade
AllSaints Founder To Host Sustainable Fashion Show In Brighton To Raise Money For Homelessness In City
Chichester Community Warden Helping Fight Against Fraud This Christmas
Wealden Council Calls For Government Rethink On Winter Fuel Payment
Snowy Protest At Lewes County Hall Calls For Fossil Fuel Divestment
Local MP Tours Firefighters’ Centre In Littlehampton
Former Portslade Scout Leader Convicted Of 79 Child Sex Offences