DCP Faculty of the Psychology of Older People
Established in 1980 the Faculty of the Psychology of Older People provides a forum for psychologists to exchange information, ideas and expertise about psychological approaches with older people.
About
The Faculty of the Psychology of Older People provides a forum for psychologists with an interest in work with older people.
Established in 1980, this group is a faculty of the Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP) within the British Psychological Society (BPS).
It works to encourage the exchange of information, ideas and expertise about psychological approaches with older people.
It is a national group with members throughout the UK.
Although primarily for Psychologists, membership of Faculty of the Psychology of Older People (FPOP) is open to individuals from other disciplines and voluntary groups who share an interest in work with older people.
Aims
The Faculty of the Psychology of Older People's aims are as follows:
- Advising and influencing policy and services
- Challenging stereotypes and age discrimination
- Collaborating with professional and voluntary groups
- Maintaining a forum for exchange of expert knowledge and skills
- Pioneering innovations in care
- Promote research which enhances the lives of older people
- Providing & encouraging education and training about late life issues
- Publicising the importance of psychological issues in how we age
- Supporting members at local, national and international levels
Geographical Groups
- East Anglia
- Essex and Hertfordshire
- North East
- North Thames
- North Wales
- North West
- Northern Ireland
- Oxford
- Scotland
- South Thames
- South Wales
- South Western
- Trent
- Wessex
- West Midlands
- Yorkshire and Humberside
News
Events
Resources
- A guide to psychosocial interventions in the early stages of dementia (second edition)
- Communicating a diagnosis of dementia
- Alternatives to antipsychotic medication: Psychological approaches in managing psychological and behavioural distress in people with dementia
- DCP Briefing Paper No 5: Commissioning Clinical Psychology Services for older people, their families and other carers
- Dementia Pathways
Useful links
Workstreams
Dementia – Psychosocial Interventions
Dementia - MCI
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)
Dementia - Behavioural and Emotional Expressions of Need (BEEN)
Working psychologically in older adult inpatient services
Primary Care Psychology and Older People
Outcome Measures
Psychological Therapies and Older People
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
Diversity
Neurodegenerative conditions
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Competencies for working psychologically with older people
- 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
FPOP Bulletin
The FPOP Bulletin is the primary publication of the Faculty for the Psychology of Older People.
- Periodicals
Boomers vs Snowflakes: How do changing narratives of ageing and culture wars impact on our work with older people? - FPOP Bulletin: Psychology of Older People
Volume: 1 Issue: 157
Date of Publication: 01-01-2022
Author(s): Gemma Barry, Rosslyn Offord
- Periodicals
Editorial - FPOP Bulletin: Psychology of Older People
Volume: 1 Issue: 158
Date of Publication: 01-01-2022
Author(s): Rowan Tinlin
- Periodicals
Service evaluation of a cognitive behavioural therapy based anxiety programme - FPOP Bulletin: Psychology of Older People
Volume: 1 Issue: 158
Date of Publication: 01-01-2022
Author(s): Mitchel Cox
- Periodicals
Pre-launch of the updated Guide to Psychosocial Interventions in Early Stages of Dementia - FPOP Bulletin: Psychology of Older People
Volume: 1 Issue: 157
Date of Publication: 01-01-2022
Author(s): Reinhard Guss, Felicity Caryer, James Middleton, Alex Bone, Lewis Slade
- Periodicals
Communication and interaction training (CAIT): An interview with Ian James - FPOP Bulletin: Psychology of Older People
Volume: 1 Issue: 158
Date of Publication: 01-01-2022
Author(s): Katharina Reichelt, Daniel Thompson
Committee
Chair: Natasha Lord
Past Chair (Deputy Chair): Rebecca Dow
Chair-Elect: Vacant
Honorary Secretary: Anna Buckell
Honorary Treasurer: Carolien Lamers (until December 2023) / Sarah Johnson (from January 2024)
Geographical Group Liaison Officer: Angela Smith
Media and Website Liaison Officer: Gemma Graham
Committee Members:
- Alan Hogarth
- Carolien Lamers
- Katharina Reichelt
- Kathryn Dykes
- Polly Kaiser
- Rebecca Poz
- Richard Cheston
Bulletin Editors:
- Anna Crabtree
- Catriona Craig
Representatives
DCP Pre-Qualification Representative: Rosemary Sibley
Northern Ireland Representative: Frances Duffy
Scotland Representative: Vacant
Wales Representative: Vacant
Division of Neuropsychology Representatives:
- Frances Duffy
- Rebecca Poz
If you would like to apply for any vacant positions, please complete a Statement of Interest form.
If you would like to find out if there are any other positions available, please contact the Member Networks Team.
Join
Apply to join the faculty (students, affiliates, e-subscribers)
Apply to join the faculty (graduate, chartered, and in-training members)
Membership of the Faculty of the Psychology of Older People is only open to members of the British Psychological Society.
There are three grades of faculty membership:
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Full membership
For psychologists who are Full Members of the Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP) and who work in or have an interest or expertise in the field of psychology of older people.
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Affiliate membership
For psychologists who are General (Pre-Training) and In-Training members of the Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP). Affiliate members may take part in discussions but may not vote.
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Associate membership
For General members of the Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP) and non-Division members. Associate members may take part in discussions but may not vote.
If you are not already a member, you can join the faculty at the same time as applying for membership of the society.
Benefits of belonging
Benefits of DCP Faculty for the Psychology of Older People membership
Membership of the faculty provides access to several benefits including:
- an annual conference
- briefing papers and guidance documents
- a regular newsletter
Member Announcement Email List
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:
- become a member of the Faculty for the Psychology of Older People
- 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.
Getting involved with the Faculty for the Psychology of Older People
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.
The first point of contact for any queries regarding the work of the DCP Faculty of the Psychology of Older People should be the Member Network Services Team.
The Member Network Services team provides support to all our Member Networks.