DCP Faculty of the Psychology of Older People

Recent publications

• Blatchford, L. & Cook, J. (2020). Patient Perspectives about Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review, Clinical Gerontologist, DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2020.1805536 Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2020.1805536
• Reichelt, K., Birkett-Swan, L.,& Clatworthy, L. (2021) A conceptual history of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and its assessment – Part 1: Historical background. FPOP Bulletin, 154, pg. 6 – 10. Access through the BPS shop
• Clatworthy, L., Birkett-Swan, L., and Reichelt, K. (2021). A conceptual history of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and its assessment – Part 2: Should Mild Cognitive Impairment be considered as a discrete diagnosis? A summary of different perspectives. FPOP Bulletin, 154 pg. 11 – 13 .
• Birkett-Swan, L., Reichelt, K. and Clatworthy, L. (2021). A conceptual history of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and its assessment – Part 3: Proposing a single criteria for MCI. FPOP Bulletin, 154 pg. 14 – 17

Planned activites:

• Special edition FPOP Bulletin (aimed for Jan 2023)
• Special interest webinar (aimed for 2023)
• Practice briefing paper (aimed 2024)

Alternatives to antipsychotic medication: Psychological approaches in managing psychological and behavioural distress in people with dementia

The Psychological Therapies Workstream was established to ensure a focus on the mental health needs of older people to balance the focus on dementia care.

The work is led by Polly Kaiser, Natasha Lord and Kathryn Dykes with the support and expertise of many colleagues across professions nationally.

Please contact [email protected] or [email protected] for further information.

The aim is to shine a light on the psychological and mental health needs of older people and lead on the advancement of evidence based psychological therapies in this area.

The focus in England on the NHS Long Term Plan and Community Mental Health Transformation has shaped the focus of this workstream in recent years. 

There are lots of great resources on the Future NHS platform, free registration is required. 

• Resources that the Psychological Therapies Workstream have contributed to or developed are detailed as well as other useful resources.
• Complex Emotional Needs webinar slides July 2022
• Complex Emotional Needs webinar recording July 2022
• Older Adults CEN.  Standards for services
• Older people and the diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’, webinar slides
• Older People’s mental health competency framework
• Psychological Interventions for People with Eating Disorders: A competence framework | UCL Psychology and Language Sciences - UCL – University College London

The mental health of older people - fact and fiction

Workstream Lead - Jane Simpson

Any queries are welcome on [email protected](link sends e-mail)

Recent publications

Mistry, K., & Simpson, J. (2013). Exploring the transitional process from receiving a diagnosis to living with motor neurone disease. Psychology and Health, 28(8), 939–953.

• Access publication

Simpson, J., McMillan, H., & Reeve, D. (2013). Reformulating psychological difficulties in people with Parkinson’s disease: The potential of a social relational approach to disablism. Parkinson’s Disease, 2013.

• Access publication

Maxted, C., Simpson, J., & Weatherhead, S. (2014). An exploration of the experience of Huntington’s disease in family dyads: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 23(3), 339–349.

• Access publication

Simpson, J., Lekwuwa, G., & Crawford, T. (2014). Predictors of quality of life in people with Parkinson’s disease: Evidence for both domain specific and general relationships. Disability and Rehabilitation, 36(23), 1964–1970.

• Access publication

Arran, N., Craufurd, D., & Simpson, J. (2014). Illness perceptions, coping styles and psychological distress in adults with Huntington’ s disease. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 19(2), 169–179. 

Simpson, J., & Thomas, C. (2015). Clinical psychology and disability studies: Bridging the disciplinary divide on mental health and disability. Disability and Rehabilitation, 37(14), 1299–1304.

• Access publication

Simpson, J., McMillan, H., Leroi, I., & Murray, C. D. (2015). Experiences of apathy in people with Parkinson’s disease: A qualitative exploration. Disability and Rehabilitation, 37(7), 611–619.

• Access publication

Barcroft, R., Simpson, J., & Butchard, S. (2016). Support for practitioners working with people with neurodegenerative disorders. Psychology of Older People: The FPOP Bulletin, 136, 21–28.

Garlovsky, J. K., Simpson, J., Grünewald, R. A., & Overton, P. G. (2016). Impulse control disorders in Parkinson’s disease: Predominant role of psychological determinants. Psychology & Health, 31(12), 1391–1414.

• Access publication

Barcroft, R., & Simpson, J. (2016). Psychological interventions for depression in people with multiple sclerosis. Psychology of Older People: The FPOP Bulletin, 136, 40–47.

Theed, R., Eccles, F. J. R., & Travers, V. (2016). Anxiety and depression in individuals with Parkinson’s disease: perspectives of the nurse specialist. British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 12(3), 132–139. 

Warren, E., Eccles, F., Travers, V., & Simpson, J. (2016). The experience of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 12(6), 288–296.

• Access publication

Garlovsky, J. K., Overton, P. G., & Simpson Paul G. (2016). Psychological predictors of anxiety and depression in Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 72(10), 979–998. 

Maltby, J., Dale, M., Underwood, M., & Simpson, J. (2017). Irritability in Huntington’s Disease: Factor Analysis of Snaith’s Irritability Scale. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, 4(3), 342–348.

• Access publication

Regan, L., Preston, N. J., Eccles, F. J. R., & Simpson, J. (2017). The views of adults with neurodegenerative diseases on end-of-life care: a metasynthesis. Aging & Mental Health, 1–9.

• Access publications

Theed, R., Eccles, F., & Simpson, J. (2017). Experiences of caring for a family member with Parkinson’s disease: a meta-synthesis. Aging & Mental Health, 21(10), 1007–1016.

• Access publication

Regan, L., Preston, N. J., Eccles, F. J. R., & Simpson, J. (2018). The views of adults with Huntington’s disease on assisted dying: A qualitative exploration. Palliative Medicine, 32(4), 708–715.

• Access publication

Zarotti, N., Simpson, J., Fletcher, I., Squitieri, F., & Migliore, S. (2018). Exploring emotion regulation and emotion recognition in people with presymptomatic Huntington’s disease: The role of emotional awareness. Neuropsychologia, 112, 1–9.

• Access publication

Theed, R., Eccles, F. J. R., & Simpson, J. (2018). Understandings of psychological difficulties in people with the Huntington’s disease gene and their expectations of psychological therapy. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 91, 216-232.

• Access publication

Simpson, J., Chatzidamianos, G., Perpetuo, L., Fletcher, I., & Eccles, F.J.R. (2018). A new scale measuring adaptive perceived control for people with Parkinson's: initial construction and further validation. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 391, 77-83

• Access publication

Zarotti, N., Simpson, J., & Fletcher, I. (2019). “I have a feeling I can’t speak to anybody’: A thematic analysis of communication perspectives in people with Huntington’s disease. Chronic Illness, 15, 61-73. 

• Access publicaiton

Zarotti, N., Fletcher, I., & Simpson, J. (2019). New perspectives on emotional processing in people with symptomatic Huntington’s disease: impaired emotion regulation and recognition of emotional body language. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 34, 610-624.

Simpson, J., Theed, R., Dale, M., Gunn, S., Zarotti, N., & Eccles, F.J.R. (2019). A critical scoping review of the concept of irritability in Huntington’s disease. Cortex, 120, 353-374.

Moore, J., Eccles, F.J.R., & Simpson, J. (in press – available online). Post-diagnostic lived experiences of individuals with essential tremor. Disability and Rehabilitation.

• Good Practice Guidelines for UK Clinical Psychology Training Providers for the Training and Consolidation of Clinical Practice in Relation to Older People
• National minimum standards of expected capabilities that trainee clinical psychologists should gain to fit them for work with older people, with guidance on minimum supervised practice and academic teaching

Membership of the faculty provides access to several benefits including:

• an annual conference
• briefing papers and guidance documents
• a regular newsletter

The Faculty for the Psychology of Older People uses its membership announcement email list to inform its members of activities and initiatives that are relevant to their interests and to make requests for engagement on topical issues. 

By becoming a member of the Faculty you are automatically added to the announcement list.

To receive these emails you will need to:

1. become a member of the Faculty for the Psychology of Older People
2. opt into receiving email communication and provide a working email address

These preferences can be updated by logging into your member portal.

If you have any queries, please contact Member Network Services.

To assist us in responding to your query please make sure to include your membership number and quote 'Faculty for the Psychology of Older People announcement email' in the subject line.

The Faculty for the Psychology of Older People relies on a wide range of people getting involved, and the work of the Faculty is largely achieved through the dedication of unpaid volunteers.

Our volunteers come from a wide range of different backgrounds, whether they be practitioners or academics, or full members or in-training members, and together form an open and inclusive community.