Elderly patients with common mental health problems are facing ‘clear discrimination’ at the hands of the NHS, experts warned yesterday.

A study found that people in their 70s with depression or anxiety were four times less likely to be referred for therapy than those in their 20s.

The researchers, led by experts at the University of West London, said the elderly are being ‘under-referred’ for talking therapy by GPs, despite evidence they are more likely to turn up and generally respond better to treatment than younger people.

Their study examined more than 80,000 referrals for patients in the South West.

A study found that people in their 70s with depression or anxiety were four times less likely to be referred for therapy than those in their 20s (stock photo)

The team found that 23 per cent of people aged 20 to 24 with mental health problems were referred for talking therapies – four times the proportion of 70 to 74 year-olds, of whom only 6 per cent received a referral.

The researchers, led by Dr Sophie Pettit, wrote in the British Journal of General Practice: ‘Once referred, adherence to and recovery resulting from treatment increases with age, and higher proportions of older adults are accessing and engaging with treatment than the 20 to 24-year-olds, who are being referred more frequently.’

There is growing concern among experts of a rising toll of mental health problems among the elderly, who are increasingly isolated and lonely.

While such problems were previously considered more prevalent among the young, this latest research reveals the elderly are affected nearly as much. The researchers calculated that 15 per cent of 20 to 24-year-olds were affected, compared to 10 per cent among over-70s.

The Local Government Association estimates that more than one million people in Britain aged over 65 experience loneliness, a known risk-factor for depression and anxiety.

Dr Amanda Thompsell, chairman of the Old Age Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: ‘This report shows clear discrimination against older people when it comes to talking therapies.

There is growing concern among experts of a rising toll of mental health problems among the elderly, who are increasingly isolated and lonely (stock photo)

‘Many of the barriers deterring access to the elderly remain: from a lack of provision for home visits or transport to and from appointments, to problems using the internet and their generation’s stoical belief in just getting on with things.’

She welcomed the report’s suggestion that GPs raise awareness among elderly patients of the therapies available and their benefits.

‘Until they get this message across and the practical barriers to accessing talking therapies are overcome, this blatant discrimination will remain,’ said Dr Thompsell.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, acknowledged the benefits of therapies for elderly patients but said referrals were a problem because there are not enough services available.

‘We need more mental health services in the community. We need a greater variety of services in the community and we need GPs and our teams to have better, easier and quicker access to them,’ she said.