Rates of depression in aged care appear to be increasing, but only a minority of residents with depression receive services specific to the condition.

Symptoms such as low mood, lack of interest or pleasure in life, and difficulty sleeping are common.

Yet, less than 3 per cent of Australian aged care residents access Medicare-subsidised mental health services, such as consultations with a psychologist or psychiatrist, each year, according to academics from Swinbourne University of Technology.

“Instead, residents are typically prescribed a medication by their GP to manage their mental health, which they often take for several months or years. A recent study found six in ten Australian aged care residents take antidepressants,” they wrote in The Conversation.

They cited other research that described “serious limitations of the current standard of care” in reference to the widespread use of antidepressants to treat frail older people with depression.

The Swinbourne researchers suggest that psychological therapies may be an effective approach for people living in aged care, reducing symptoms of depression and improving quality of life and psychological wellbeing.

However, they found that “psychological therapy may not be more effective than extra social contact in reducing symptoms of depression”.

“Older people commonly feel bored, lonely and socially isolated in aged care. So, identifying ways to increase meaningful engagement day-to-day could improve the mental health and wellbeing of older people in aged care,” they said.