Mental health in later life
Your age does not tell us how you feel, what matters to you or the support you want. This is a place to explore concerns and care in the context of your own life.
There is room for wellbeing at every age.
Many older adults enjoy good mental health. Retirement, caring responsibilities, bereavement, health changes and access to support can shape wellbeing, but they do not affect everyone in the same way.
Depression is not an inevitable part of ageing. Persistent distress or a loss of interest deserves attention, rather than being dismissed because of your age.
Based on WHO · National Institute on Aging
Your circumstances matter more than assumptions.
- Your feelings
What you want to understand or change
- Your wider health
How care fits your health needs
- Connection & context
What supports or complicates your day
- Accessible support
Care that listens and includes your choices
Later life is not one mental health experience.
Work, relationships, health, caring responsibilities and life changes can have different meanings for different people. Age alone does not explain distress or imply isolation, dependence or cognitive impairment.
Mental health concerns deserve assessment in later life. Do not assume depression or anxiety is an inevitable part of ageing.
Your situation
Current roles, relationships and changes that matter to you.
Health and treatment
Physical and mental health needs considered together.
Access
Communication, mobility or practical barriers to receiving support.
Your preferences
The support and involvement of others you choose.
Based on WHO · National Institute on Aging
Start with what matters in your life.
These are areas you can choose to discuss. Being older does not imply loneliness, memory impairment or a mental-health condition.
Mood & interest
Your mood or interest in activities has changed in a way that concerns you.
Your connections
Connection, relationships or caring responsibilities affect how you feel.
Wider health
Pain, sleep, medicines or other health needs make daily life harder.
Access to care
Cost, transport, accessibility or stigma make it difficult to get support.
Based on WHO · National Institute on Aging
Care should listen to you and consider your wider health.
A clinician can discuss mood, daily life, health, medicines and support needs together. Tell them about what feels different and ask for explanations that work for you.
Ask for communication or access adjustments, and decide whether to involve a trusted supporter. Age alone does not establish cognitive impairment or justify someone answering for you.
Based on WHO · National Institute on Aging
- 1Your concern
What would you most like to understand or feel supported with?
- 2Your circumstances
What health, relationships or practical needs should care take into account?
- 3Your preferences
What would make support easier to access and more useful to you?
Your options can include care and connection.
Explore the options and ask what fits your circumstances and needs.
Based on WHO · National Institute on Aging
Ask for care that considers your whole situation.
Tell the clinician about medicines, other health conditions and any difficulty attending or communicating at appointments. Ask how care will be coordinated.
If you are supporting someone, include their own priorities rather than assuming what they need. Support for caregivers can be considered alongside care for the person.
Based on WHO · National Institute on Aging
Find support. Prepare your next step.
Find care or prepare a conversation. You can ask for help before you have a diagnosis.
Your first sentence does not need to be perfect.
Arrange a clinical conversation for a continuing concern. If there is immediate danger, seek emergency help. New sudden confusion needs immediate medical help, rather than a routine mental-health appointment.
Based on National Institute on Aging · NHS
“I would like to discuss how I have been feeling and what support fits my health, circumstances and preferences.”Make it sound like you
Your questions, with room for nuance.
You can read just the answer you need.
Should low mood be dismissed because I am older?
No. Depression is not an inevitable part of ageing. Seek an assessment for persistent distress or changes affecting your life.
Based on National Institute on Aging
Where this information comes from.
Use this hub to learn and prepare questions. It does not diagnose you or recommend a personal treatment plan. By Selfmora editorial; sources checked . Updated .
Additional explanations and examples: sources consulted . Examples illustrate ideas; they do not assess your personal health. Your questions
Our editorial approach