Ageist beliefs among older people and adapting CBT to challenge this in the therapeutic setting

Abstract

Our clinical experience has indicated there is a need to look at cognitive distortions related to age when it arises in the therapeutic process. Clinicians are frequently faced with statements such as ‘I’m too old to change’ and ‘what is the point in doing this, I’ve probably not got long left’ which provide barriers to effective interventions. We propose that these issues need addressing first, alongside treatment socialisation, prior to addressing common thinking errors associated with anxiety and depression.