HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS British Journal of Psychiatry Advances in Psychiatric Treatment All RCPsych Journals		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Garner, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Garner, J.

Psychotherapy and old age psychiatry

Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Chase Farm Hospital, The Ridgeway, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 8JL

This paper may have tended to focus on a psychoanalytic approach because of my particular interest but it also includes other psychological approaches which I have no wish to discount or devalue. The psychoanalytic model is seen to be important in two particular ways: it places special emphasis on the uniqueness of patients (an emphasis to be valued when considering the numbers of referrals seen each week by old age psychiatrists and the numbers of patients living in institutional care, both private and NHS); and the model is also able to address staff fears about this difficult patient group.

Realistically even if each service had sessional input from a therapist, the number of patients being seen for psychotherapy would still be small. However, the aim would be to have the general service informed by a psychotherapeutic approach (in the broadest sense) having regard to the emotional life of the patient. Winnicott (1971) writes of "therapeutic consultation". This is a concept from his work with adolescents but could perhaps teach us something even about how to use 15 minutes in out-patients.

Old age psychiatrists have become adept in thinking of ways to reduce social isolation. The aim of all psychological interventions is to reduce emotional isolation, Hunter (1989) quotes Anthony Storr, who wrote in 1960. "A man's sense of his own identity as a person depends on communication with other persons". That is no less true for an 80-year-old than a 20-year-old. Increasing our psychotherapeutic skills is a way of developing and enhancing our communication with our older patients who deserve no less.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Evans A survey of the provision of psychological treatments to older adults in the NHS Psychiatr. Bull., November 1, 2004; 28(11): 411 - 414. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. M. Benbow and S. J. Turner Psychotherapy within old age psychiatry Psychiatr. Bull., October 1, 2000; 24(10): 394 - 394. [Full Text]

				S. Murphy Provision of psychotherapy services for older people Psychiatr. Bull., May 1, 2000; 24(5): 181 - 184. [Abstract] [Full Text]