The Mental Health of Older People

This report is part of a series based on a survey of psychiatric morbidity among adults in private households that was carried out in 2000 by the National Statistics on behalf of the Department of Health, the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government. The report focuses on the mental health of older people, those aged 60-74. It examines the distribution of common mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression, and indices of cognitive functioning among people of that age group and their impact on level of functioning and use of social and health services. The association of these disorders with a range of factors including socio-economic indicators stressful life events and social support is also considered.