Depression and anxiety in esidential aged care : attitudes, help-seeking and effectiveness of group-based cognitive behaviour therapy

Abstract

Depression and anxiety among older people who live in residential aged care is severely under-recognised and under-treated. The aim of this dissertation was to examine ways to improve the provision of psychological therapies to residents through a two-step process of examining older adults' willingness to seek help for depression and anxiety, and by evaluating the effectiveness of providing group-based cognitive behaviour therapy within residential aged care facilities. Informed by theoretical models of help-seeking, older adults' attitudes towards depression and anxiety and their relationship to help-seeking was explored in Study 1 (N = 105). Positive attitudes and low stigma towards depression and anxiety were found in this sample of older people living in residential care. Their favourable attitude towards depression and anxiety was positively related to willingness to seek help for these disorders, but no relationship between stigma and help-seeking was found. In addition, the older adults in the sample indicated that they would be willing to engage with specialist mental health services if referred by their GPs. Practical issues such as cost was cited as the main barrier to seeking help. In Study 2 (N = 18), group-based cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety and depression was conducted with older people within their aged care facility. Its effectiveness in reducing symptoms of mild depression and anxiety was evaluated, with encouraging results on standardised measures and positive qualitative feedback from the participants. Together, these results strengthen the need to facilitate greater access to psychological services by older adults who live in residential aged care in order to maintain their overall mental wellbeing. Show more