Elderly fobbed off with mental health pills instead of receiving therapy, researchers find 

Elderly patients are being fobbed off with mental health pills instead of receiving therapy, researchers find

  • Elderly are fobbed off with pills instead of receiving therapy, experts warn 
  • Over-85s a third more likely to be given antidepressants than those in their 50s 
  • But older adults did report ‘a willingness to talk about their emotional health’

The elderly are being fobbed off with pills for mental health problems instead of receiving therapy, experts warn.

Over-85s are five times less likely to be referred for psychological therapy than those in their 50s – and a third more likely to be given antidepressants.

Time-pressed GPs are neglecting pensioners’ mental health in favour of more straightforward physical needs, wrote researchers from University College London and the University of Bristol.

However, older adults reported ‘a willingness to talk about their emotional health’. 

The research, published in the British Journal of General Practice, combined 27 studies on psychological treatment of the elderly.

The elderly are being fobbed off with pills for mental health problems instead of receiving therapy, experts warn (stock image)

Time-pressed GPs are neglecting pensioners¿ mental health in favour of more straightforward physical needs, wrote researchers (stock image)

Time-pressed GPs are neglecting pensioners’ mental health in favour of more straightforward physical needs, wrote researchers (stock image)

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