Chapter 14 - Migration and mental health of older people

Summary

This chapter uses existing epidemiological data on the elderly to illustrate differences between migrant elders and the native ones. The relationship between migration and mental health in older people within the context of the UK is examined in the domains of demography, epidemiology of mental disorders and suicide in old age, access to services and potential ways forward to improve service access. In the UK, migrants are often referred to as black and minority ethnic (BME) individuals. The total number of elderly from all BME groups combined was 531909. The two most common mental disorders in old age are dementia and depression. The anticipated increase in psychiatric morbidity has enormous implications for the design, development and delivery of culturally capable, appropriate and sensitive Old Age Psychiatry Services (OAPSs) for BME elders. Over the past decade, the mental health of BME groups has become a national priority in the UK.