Press Release

A collective responsibility to act now on ageing and mental health: A Consensus Statement

24.06.08

With depression affecting three times as many older people as dementia, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has joined other key organisations to call for action from the Government in addressing a full range of 'later life' mental health problems.

As formal consultation on the National Dementia Strategy for England begins, the RCGP has helped produce a new consensus statement ‘Investing in our Future: Ageing and Mental Health’, released today.  Other key organisations involved in producing the document include: the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Age Concern, and the Royal College of Nursing.

These organisations firmly believe this call should just be the beginning of a comprehensive commitment to investing in our future.  We believe that dementia cannot and should not be seen in isolation from the rest of mental illness in older people. We call for mental health issues in later life to be accorded the highest priority in terms of sustained vision, leadership and policy ownership and must not fall through gaps between mental health and older peoples' policies.

Dr Carolyn Chew-Graham, RCGP Clinical Champion for Mental Health, said: "This document is meant to raise the profile of mental health issues in older people and alert health and social care, providers and commissioners as well as clinicians/professionals about the importance of investing in this area - which is everyone's responsibility."