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Mental health and treatment challenges in older adults

Nature Reviews Psychology (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Stereotypical views of ageing and about older adults can be barriers to older adults receiving psychological interventions for common mental health conditions. Such negative age stereotypes in some health professionals and older adults themselves might reduce expectations for change and improvement as a result of psychotherapy. In this Review, we discuss contemporary psycho-gerontological research about ageing experiences and explore the utility of this research for working with older adults with depression and anxiety disorders. We outline health-related and psychological processes that are common in older adults and briefly review the evidence for the range of psychotherapies suitable for use with this population. Innovations in the application of psychological therapies with older adults demonstrate the scope for interventions to substantially improve quality of life and empower people to age well. These innovations also enhance understanding of how best to support people living with dementia and their caregivers. Finally, we provide recommendations aimed at improving psychotherapy treatment outcomes and for future research on the psychological care of older adults.

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Fig. 1: Comprehensive cognitive formulation for cognitive behavioural therapy with older adults.
Fig. 2: Case example of a completed timeline.

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Acknowledgements

We thank those of our clients who have allowed us to use their clinical examples to illustrate our work. Their generosity and willingness to share information is truly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    Ken Laidlaw

  2. Psychology Department, New Craigs Hospital, NHS Highland, Inverness, UK

    Ken Laidlaw

  3. Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK

    Georgina Charlesworth

  4. Goodmayes Hospital, North East London NHS Foundation Trust, Ilford, London, UK

    Georgina Charlesworth

  5. Department of Psychological Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia

    Sunil Bhar

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Laidlaw, K., Charlesworth, G. & Bhar, S. Mental health and treatment challenges in older adults. Nat Rev Psychol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-025-00500-7

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