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The acceptability of the Fire and Rescue Service working with primary care to improve identification of mental health problems in older adults. A mixed-method qualitative study
Fisher, Tamsin Chew-Graham, Carolyn A. Corp, Nadia Farooq, Saeed Kingston, Paul Read, Ian Southam, Jane Spolander, Gary Stevens, Dean Walchester, Mark
Fisher, Tamsin
Chew-Graham, Carolyn A.
Corp, Nadia
Farooq, Saeed
Kingston, Paul
Read, Ian
Southam, Jane
Spolander, Gary
Stevens, Dean
Walchester, Mark
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2023-11-29
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Abstract
Background: Mental ill-health in older adults (aged 60 years and over) is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Older adults are less likely to access mental health services owing to perceived stigma and fear of being a burden. Non-traditional providers of health care, such as the Fire and Rescue Services (FRS), provide a possible solution to facilitate early detection of problems and help-seeking among older adults, especially in the context of pressured statutory services.
Aim: To examine whether and how FRS Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSV) could be optimised to include detection and signposting for mental health problems — particularly anxiety and depression — in older adults.
Design & setting: This mixed-method qualitative study took place in the West Midlands, UK in 2022.
Method: This study involved focus groups (n = 24) and interviews with FRS staff (n = 4) to develop an in-depth contextual understanding of he acceptability and feasibility of expanding HFSV to include identification of anxiety and depression.
Results: FRS staff were open to expanding their HFSVs to include mental health, provided they had sufficient training and support from partner agencies in primary and social care settings to accept referrals for service users presenting with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression.
Conclusion: The positive reputation of FRS staff and engagement with older adults suggests that HFSV could support the detection of anxiety and depression in older adults, and appropriate signposting to other services including primary care.
Citation
Fisher, T., Chew-Graham, C. A., Corp, N., Farooq, S., Kingston, P., Read, I., Southam, J., Spolander, G., Stevens, D., Walchester, M., Warren, C., & Kingstone, T. (2023). The acceptability of the Fire and Rescue Service working with primary care to improve identification of mental health problems in older adults. A mixed-method qualitative study. BJGP Open, 7(4), article-number BJGPO.2023.0059. https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2023.0059
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Royal College of General Practitioners
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BJGP Open
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Article
Language
en
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Copyright © 2023, The Authors.
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2398-3795
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This study is funded by the NIHR (Research for Patient Benefit [NIHR:201967]). Partial funding by the NIHR Applied Research Council West Midlands.