"Mental Health Has Been Left Behind": A Qualitative Exploration of stakeholders' Perceptions of Older adults' Mental Well-Being Needs and Services in a Colombian Displaced Community.

Abstract

Objectives: Many older Colombians have been exposed to violence. This study sought to explore stakeholders' perceptions of older adults' mental well-being needs and mental well-being service provision within a Colombian displaced community.

Methods: Employing an exploratory qualitative design, semi-structured and in-depth interviews were conducted with stakeholders of health, public health and welfare services between October 2021-June 2022. Two public advisors were involved in devising the topic guide, which elicited information on older adults' mental well-being needs and service provision. Interviews were conducted in Spanish, transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Data were analyzed by an inductive thematic analysis.

Results: Thirteen stakeholders were interviewed. Three themes were generated: 'older adults' unmet well-being needs;' characterizing the provision of mental well-being services; and barriers and facilitators to increasing the provision of mental well-being services. Older adults experienced considerable mental well-being needs. While stakeholders' motivation to address unmet needs appeared high, service provision seemed limited and fragmented, hamstrung by insufficient resources.

Conclusions: Older adults in this community are underserved. Greater priority and resources, need to be allocated to mental well-being services.

Clinical implications: Greater and widely accessible resources, human and financial, are required to further expand the current provision of mental well-being services.