Psychiatry Features

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a well-established treatment for several psychiatric conditions but can easily slip under the radar when considering treatment options. This article and case study discusses the role of ECT in affective disorders of the older patient.

Frontline healthcare workers have faced unparalleled exposure to trauma during the Covid-19 pandemic. The impact on doctors' wellbeing is unprecedented and can be put in the same category psychologically as a war or natural disaster.

Depression is a mental disorder that can have multiple presenting features in older adults, which may be more subtle than the traditional features. It affects around 22% of men and 28% of women over 65 years old, yet it is estimated that 85% of older people with depression receive no help at all from the NHS.

There are around one million victims of elder abuse each year in the UK. How should healthcare physicians respond if they suspect elder abuse and what happens next?

It is essential for psychiatrists and health professionals to gain both the theoretical and practical knowledge of how to deal with situations that may infringe on a patient’s fundamental freedoms. .

People with a severe mental illness die 15–20 years earlier than they would have done, had they not had a severe mental illness. The principle cause of this increased mortality is from long-term conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and cancer. 

Some 14–17% of adults over 65 are lonely. Cohousing is a form of grouped housing designed and managed by those who reside within it. This is part two of a two-part article.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is commonly associated with psychiatric morbidity, which may include depression and anxiety. The treatment goals may include improvement or remission of psychiatric symptoms.

Some 14–17% of adults over 65 are lonely. Social isolation and the subjective experience of loneliness can increase the risk of poor health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, suicide, sleep problems and premature mortality. Cohousing is a form of grouped housing designed and managed by those who reside within it. We consider whether this approach may have beneficial effects in alleviating or protecting from loneliness in older people. This is part one of a two-part article.

This article aims to update general hospital staff about electroconvulsive treatment.