A third sector outreach project to increase knowledge of psychological wellbeing, psychological therapies and how to access mental health services for older people in a Scottish health board

Abstract

Despite psychological therapies being as, if not more, effective for older adults as compared to working age adults, older adults face additional barriers in accessing psychological therapies, and are more likely than working aged adults to be offered pharmacological intervention in the first instance. This paper describes an outreach program carried out by the Older Adult Psychology Specialty in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, which aimed to increase knowledge and understanding of psychological therapies for older people living in the health board area, and to provide information about healthy ageing from a psychological perspective to a population who may otherwise not have had access to this information. This paper summarises this work and gives suggestions for future developments. Whilst this project was set in a semi-rural Scottish context, there are elements that could be replicated in other UK board areas that have a similar service aim and that have similar third sector agencies operating in their area.