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Well? Issue 4: Spring/Summer 2004

Mental Health and Well-Being in Later Life

Improving the mental health and well-being of older people is a key objective of Scottish Executive policy.

Many factors influence the sense of well-being that older people in Scotland experience. The ability to contribute to their communities, to have easy access to essential services, to have sufficient resources to lead active and satisfying lives, and to feel safe and secure in their homes are all significant issues that help to determine how 'well', physically and mentally, older people feel.

Health issues also play a key role. Most people know that many physical diseases such as strokes and heart attacks are more common among older people. But perhaps fewer recognise that mental health problems like depression are also common in later life, with older people having to combat not only the symptoms of the illness, but also the stigma that is often attached to it.

The Scottish Executive's National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-Being is investing 300,000 in NHS Health Scotland to support work which will help improve older people's mental health and well-being. The work is being taken forward in collaboration with the Executive's Older People's Unit.

This three-year initiative was launched last October by Tom McCabe, Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care.

Older people's experiences, views and ideas are the main drivers for this national initiative. A joint Scottish Executive/NHS Health Scotland workshop held over two days in Stirling last spring brought together older people from all over Scotland with professionals and policy makers to identify the issues older people rank as most important in boosting their mental health and well-being. The outcomes from the workshop (and a similar event held subsequently in Dumfries) have provided the route map for future developments including:

• Commissioning research into the factors that affect older people's mental health and well-being and ensuring that older people, professionals and policy makers get to hear about the results

• Developing Health in Later Life interest groups throughout Scotland to help older people share information and experience and influence local and national policy

• Setting up local and national projects to promote mental health and well-being

• Producing key resources for older people, professionals and policy makers.

Progress is already being made across all fronts. In addition to the report of the Stirling workshop, further research on the factors that affect older people's sense of well-being has been commissioned. This work, Mental Health and Well-Being in Later Life: Older People's Perceptions, is now published and it explores the issues that arose at the workshop with a wider range of older people, exploring their perceptions on five key areas:

• family and friends

• positive attitudes

• keeping active

• maintaining capability and independence

• negotiating transitions

Developing Networks

An evaluation of the Paisley Gerontology Interest Group, a multi-disciplinary group which provides research focus for health professionals working with older people, provided the inspiration for the plans to develop a regional network of similar groups throughout Scotland. These local Health in Later Life interest groups will bring together older people, carers, community interests and professionals to develop and share learning, and aim to:

• ensure that older people can make a contribution to developing good practice and services

• enable groups to identify what works well and what doesn't

• inform policy decisions at local and national level

• share practice throughout Scotland about positive initiatives and developments

• give pointers for future research activity

The model developed in Paisley will now be extended across Scotland, encouraging participation among a wide range of older people, promoting more interactive and participative activities in the groups and making links with universities and colleges. Three regional seminars in the East, West and North of Scotland took place in April and May 2004, with the aim of stimulating further interest and activity at local level. A report of these seminars will be published in summer 2004.

"This programme has arisen from listening to the voices of older people in Scotland"

Further Developments

Action is also being taken on developing a local small projects award scheme, where up to 40,000 annually is being made available to support local groups and projects in taking forward local initiatives on improving mental health and well-being in later life. Guidance and application forms for the scheme are now available. (See contact details below)

NHS Health Scotland will also be producing a series of resources based on the outcomes of research and ideas emerging from the local Health in Later Life interest groups. An information leaflet about dementia originally produced by Alzheimer's Scotland, Don't Make the Journey Alone, which is written by people with dementia, has been updated and is available from local health promotion departments. Other resources in a variety of media to suit the needs of a diverse range of people will be produced.

This all amounts to a dynamic and exciting programme that will focus attention on the importance of promoting good mental health and well-being among older people. Fundamental to the delivery of this work is ensuring that older people's voices are heard and acted upon.

"This programme has arisen from listening to the voices of older people in Scotland," says NHS Health Scotland's Shirley Mitchell. "The initial workshop gave older people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures the opportunity to talk about their hopes, their fears, their concerns and their dreams with those who are responsible for developing health policy for older people and those who are charged with delivering it at ground level. The older people spoke profoundly about the issues they believe are important, and their message has been heard."

For further information contact
Shirley Mitchell,
NHS Health Scotland
t: 0131 536 5500
e:Shirley.Mitchell@hebs.scot.nhs.uk

Older people's experiences, views and ideas are the main drivers for this national initiative

Well? Mental Health in Later Life

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