“MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AMONG OLDER PEOPLE NOT BEING TALKED ABOUT”

There has been a call this week for additional focus on mental health difficulties being experienced by older people, as the number of interventions to support mental health carried out by charity ALONE has increased by almost 300% in the past year.

Speaking at the Joint Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Mental Health, ALONE CEO Seán Moynihan said that in Q4 2022, 29% of the 1,926 older people ALONE assessed for their services identified they had issues relating to their mental health, but over half of these had not attended a GP for support. ALONE also cited research from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) which found that 78% of older adults who have evidence of depression, and 85% who have evidence of anxiety, do not have a doctor’s diagnosis.

“We do not give older age due consideration as a time where mental health difficulties may emerge for the first time. We do not discuss how getting older is associated with age-specific psychosocial risk factors for mental health difficulties, such as living alone, bereavement, physical illness, disability, and cognitive decline,” he said.

The organisation, which enables older people to age at home, has said that specific mental health policy, evidence-based programmes and research for older people must be committed to, funded, and implemented as part of ‘Sharing the Vision’, Ireland’s national mental health policy. ALONE has also said that the action plan to combat loneliness and social isolation must be completed, funded and committed to, including funding for Irish research, and older people must be provided with additional supports to reengage with their communities, in collaboration with experts and the community and voluntary sector.

If you, or an older person you know, requires ALONE’s support please call our National Support and Referral Line at 0818 222 024 from 8am to 8pm. If you are interested in supporting older people by becoming a volunteer, then you can visit alone. ie/volunteer for more information.