Older people with enduring mental illness: a needs assessment tool

Abstract

Aims and MethodThere is a lack of tools to assess the needs of older people with enduring mental illness who have ‘graduated’ from adult mental health services and little is known about this population. the Elderly Psychiatric Needs Schedule (EPNS) was developed and applied to older people with enduring mental illness in contact with the old age and general adult components of an inner-city mental health service.ResultsThe EPNS proved reliable (mean agreement 96%, mean Kappa κ=0.90). the mean number of needs identified was 7.6, of which 4.3 were unmet and 3.3 were met.Clinical ImplicationsThe EPNS provided a reliable method of needs assessment in this population. the authors offer the EPNS as a tool to assess service needs of older adults with functional psychiatric disorders having ‘graduated’ from adult mental health services.