IPA Press Releases

URGENT ACTION NEEDED TO TACKLE GLOBAL BURDEN OF MENTAL DISORDERS IN ELDERLY

Caring for someone with dementia in a developing country is a much bigger economic strain than in the developed world because there are little or no support systems in place to help the family, according to psychiatrists leading a study into dementia diagnosis and care arrangements in the developing world. As global ageing will rise significantly in the next two decades, international aid agencies and government programmes must not delay in making mental health in elderly people a priority, to help avoid an intolerable burden on the family and local community.

Dr K .S. Shaji from Thrissur Medical College in in Kerala, India and Dr Martin Prince from the Institute of Psychiatry in London, UK are leading the research programme involving 26 centres around the world, covering countries in Latin-America, Africa, India, China and South East Asia. They are known as the 10/66 Dementia Research Group because currently less than one tenth of all population-based research into dementia is directed towards two-thirds of the population. 

Presenting the results from their pilot study at the Tenth Congress of the International Psychogeriatric Asociation, Dr Shaji and Dr Prince will show that although the person with dementia is well-cared for, the impact on the care-giver and the family is immense. The primary care-giver usually has to give up work with no prospect of income support, yet healthcare costs soar. “In developing countries, private treatment is available but is very expensive. The low cost public healthcare system is not designed with elderly people in mind, as people have to travel for miles to a clinic,” said Dr Shaji. 

The study takes cultural and educational differences into account and demonstrates that a lack of awareness of the decline in mental health is a major problem. Identifying people with dementia is further complicated by low levels of education and high levels of depression in the care-givers. “Interestingly, however, we found that the more over-crowded the home, with extended families all living under the same roof, the less is the strain, as the responsibility for taking care of the person with dementia is shared,” said Dr Shaji.

The research, funded by WHO, will shortly enter the second phase, looking at risk factors and the prevalence of dementia, as well as training in care-giving and strategies for interventions by healthcare workers, all of which is relevant to developing as well as developed countries. “If you confine your research to similar types of people in the Western world,” said Dr Prince, “you could be missing important information that is right under your nose! We have a lot to learn about brain degeneration in populations where different lifestyles, environmental and genetic factors could play an important role.” 

Their work is already making a difference and to date, around 120 researchers and clinicians in 26 countries have been trained. They are becoming interested in mental health problems in their local communities. The sudden increase in the number of old people in developing countries demands healthcare services to face new challenges. Dr Shaji concluded, “We believe our work will provide evidence that will make an impact on government and policy makers and help to reduce the neglect in this area.”

For further information contact
Elaine Snell
Tel +44 (0)20 7738 0424 (London UK), mobile +44 (0)7973 953794
Elaine.snell@which.net
IPA Press Office – 9-14 September only - tel: +33 (0)4 93 92 81 09 fax: +33 (0)4 93 92 81 11

Note to Editors
The International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) is the premier multi-disciplinary organisation concerned with the mental health care of our ageing people around the world. 1500 psychiatrists, geriatricians, neurologists, nurses and other allied professionals are expected at the Tenth Congress of the IPA, Nice, France, 9-14 September 2001. Full details, including abstracts and programme –  www.ipa-online.org