Feel Brighter campaign
The 'Feel Brighter' campaign aims to reach out to older people aged 65 and older, who may be struggling with their mental health but don't know where to turn for advice, support and to find out what services are available locally.
The campaign is run by Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care System and aims to encourage older people who have symptoms such as anxiety, loneliness, or low mood to reach out and access free NHS Talking Therapies and other support to help them feel brighter again.
NHS Talking Therapies are effective treatments that involve speaking with an experienced mental health professional to understand feelings and learn ways to manage them. Sessions are totally confidential and can be one-to-one, in a group, online, or over the phone.
Recent statistics show that 9.3% of the region’s population aged over 65 struggle with a common mental health condition such as anxiety or depression. And nationally, 33% of older people say they have felt more anxious since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Dr Emma Tiffin, GP and Clinical Mental Health Lead at the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care System said: “We know that older people can think feeling low or anxious is just part of the ageing process, but if you haven’t been feeling yourself don’t suffer in silence, there is a wide range of help and support available locally.
“We want our older population to enjoy life to the full, so if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health symptoms like anxiety, loneliness and low mood, do reach out because sometimes a professional listening ear is all it takes to turn things around.
“It’s easy to access free support by visiting our Feel Brighter webpage at www.cpics.org.uk/feel-brighter which is packed full of information about NHS Talking Therapies, other support available, and how to refer yourself.”
Deborah Lloyd, 79, from Milton near Cambridge took part in a talking therapy session. Mrs Lloyd, had suffered from anxiety for several years. She had tried medication, but it didn’t have the impact she wanted so her GP referred her to talking therapies where she received a course of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT – a type of talking therapy).
Mrs Lloyd said: “The therapy and support I received have made me more active. NHS Talking Therapies helped me to change my behaviours when faced with certain situations. It gave me mechanisms to cope and how to act with situations that would previously have been an issue. It’s much more manageable now and I feel comfort from knowing that the service exists.”
A 67-year-old man said: “The treatment has lifted me so much so, that I don’t seem to have as many bad moods. Talking about my symptoms really helped me to be stronger and I am now at the point where I feel I can deal with things better.”
The campaign also aims to reach out to family, friends and carers of an older person, who hasn’t been feeling themselves recently and would benefit from accessing free support like NHS Talking Therapies. All the information they need and how their loved one can access free support can be found at www.cpics.org.uk/feel-brighter.
For those who don’t feel comfortable visiting the Feel Brighter webpage for information people can also telephone 0300 300 0055 to make an initial referral or people can contact their GP who is also able to refer people to NHS Talking Therapies.