The report says systemic age discrimination means that the mental health of older people is too often ignored.
Ignoring the needs of older people is discrimination and impacts on older people, families, communities and public services, the Center for Mental Health said.
The report, commissioned by Age UK, concluded that among older people there is “pervasive pessimism and a sense of inevitability that normalizes poor mental health”.
The charity also claimed there was an “urgent need to tackle ageist assumptions and expectations about mental health in later life”.
The report, released on Tuesday, follows research conducted last week by the Resolution Foundation, which found that young people with mental health problems are denied access to a good education and end up unemployed or underpaid. The announcement was made after it was revealed that he may be employed.
The authors of this latest report said a similar focus needs to be placed on the mental health of older people.
Andy Bell, chief executive of the Center for Mental Health, said: “Recent reports point to a very worrying increase in poor mental health among young people.
“We want to show similar concern for older generations and ensure that experiencing poor mental health is not ignored as an inevitable part of aging.”
The authors said that while the study builds on existing evidence, its findings are “limited by the lack of research and policy development specific to late-life mental health.”
They want public services to prevent mental illness in later life, intervene quickly to stop the problem from spreading, and meet the needs of people with mental illness in later life “effectively and comprehensively”. He said there was no national strategy or blueprint to help.
As the population ages, the mental health of this population “will therefore become increasingly important for health and care services to address effectively,” they added.
“The invisibility of older people in mental health services and policy-making is a major concern,” the report states.
“Older people are too often neglected, from planning prevalence studies to commissioning mental health support.”
Mr Bell said ageism was “deeply ingrained and systemic, causing people to miss out on a more mentally healthy retirement”.
He added: “The lack of inclusion in later life in successive national mental health plans means there has been little investment in supporting the mental health of older people.” . This is a form of discrimination that leaves the elderly without effective support.
“Our briefing paper sets out some immediate changes that could make a difference. Future mental health strategies must treat older people fairly.”
Paul Farmer, chief executive of Age UK, said: ‘There is a contradiction at the heart of mental health support for older people: on the one hand it is undervalued and on the other hand low mood and depression are treated as ‘just getting old’. “I’ve been told,” he said.
“In both cases, the outcome is the same: too many people go without the care they need to maintain good mental health as they age.”
The report calls on research funders to prioritize projects that focus on mental health in later life, urges the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to review the provision of mental health support for older people, and He said efforts needed to be made to train staff to address ageist attitudes.
It said the plan must “challenge deeply entrenched ageism across health and care services and create a new narrative that focuses on mental health in later life”.
NHS England has been contacted for comment.
