Mental Health Awareness Week – Older Adults

Hello, my name is Yinka and I work for Thinking Ahead as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. My role involves delivering talking therapy to people experiencing mild to moderate common mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety.

How can Mental Health impact Older Adults?

Low mood and depression, as well as anxiety, can be common problems experienced by older adults. For example, some people with symptoms of depression or low mood may find that they have less interest in hobbies or activities than before and they might find it difficult to motivate themselves to engage in these things. This can also begin to have an impact on relationships with family or friends. They might also experience changes in their sleep or appetite. These symptoms are sometimes triggered by difficult events, and for some people, this could include retirement, bereavement or feeling isolated.

Support at Thinking Ahead

Thinking Ahead can support people with these difficulties by providing evidence based treatments through one-to-one sessions, group sessions or online talking therapy sessions of Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This involves supporting clients to identify areas where they wish to change how they feel, think or behave, as well as using evidence-based interventions to make these changes. We also deliver counselling sessions, which provides clients with the opportunity to discuss their problems, and any difficult feelings they encounter, in a confidential setting.

Accessing Self Help

I would also recommend the following resources you can access online:

Age UK: Age UK offers information and advice on a wide range of issues that affect older people and their families. For online support and to find your local branch, visit their website. Website: www.ageuk.org.uk

Here is a guide on how to look after your mental health in later life: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-to-in-later-life

This website provides great self-help guides for a wide range of common mental health difficulties, incluing depression/low mood, anxiety and stress https://web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/