Depression, anxiety and psychoses in later life: more challenges for primary care

Abstract

The current focus on dementia risks eclipsing other mental health problems of later life. While the National Service Framework for Older People (NSF) has highlighted depression as an important disorder meriting special consideration,1 anxiety and psychoses in older people remain difficult problems for practitioners to manage. This paper reviews the prevalence and impact, recognition, complexity and prognosis and treatment for these three clinical problems, and proposes a framework for ‘good enough practice’