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; Warren, Carmel; Kingstone, Tom

Abstract

Mental ill-health in older adults (aged 60 years and over) is often under-diagnosed and under-treated. Older adults are less likely to access mental health services due to perceived stigma and fear of being a burden. Non-traditional providers of healthcare, such as the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) may provide a possible solution to facilitate early detection of problems and help-seeking among older adults, especially in the context of pressured statutory services. The aim of this study was to examine whether and how Fire and Rescue Service Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSV) could be optimized to include detection and sign-posting for mental health problems, particularly anxiety and depression, in older adults. A mixed-method qualitative study took place in the West Midlands, UK, in 2022. This study involved focus groups (n=24), and interviews with Fire and Rescue Service staff (n=4), to develop an in-depth, contextual understanding of acceptability and feasibility of expanding the HFSV to include identification of anxiety and depression. FRS staff were open to expanding their HFSVs to include more on mental health, providing they had sufficient training and support from partner agencies in primary and social care settings to accept referrals for service users (SU) presenting with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. The positive reputation of FRS staff and engagement with older adults suggests that Home Fire Safety Visits could support the detection of anxiety and depression in older adults and appropriate sign-posting 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. and 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 [online], 7(3), article number 0059. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2023.0059

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 23, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Nov 29, 2023
• Publication Date: Dec 31, 2023
• Deposit Date: Sep 7, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 7, 2023
• Journal: BJGP open
• Electronic ISSN: 2398-3795
• Publisher: Royal College of General Practitioners
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 4
• Article Number: 0059
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2023.0059
• Keywords: Fire and rescue services; Mental health; Social services; Aged; Anxiety; Depression; Firefighters; Non-traditional providers; Older adults; Primary care; Referral and consultation
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2071307
• Additional Information: A previous version of this manuscript was published on 25.07.2023 with the title "Can the fire and rescue service work with primary care to improve identification of mental health problems in older adults?" and is available at: https://bjgpopen.org/content/early/2023/07/25/BJGPO.2023.0059?versioned=true.; This article has been published with separate supporting information. This supporting information has been incorporated into a single file on this repository and can be found at the end of the file associated with this output.