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  • 1 November 2022 to 30 September 2023
  • Project No: 635
  • Funding round: FR5

Feeling low or anxious and having problems sleeping are very common in later life. As well as reducing a person’s quality of life, they can also cause problems with everyday activities and increase a person’s risk of falls and being admitted to hospital. Currently, services to support older people’s mental health are limited – fewer older people use talking therapies than would be expected. Antidepressants and sleeping tablets can also increase the risk of falls.

Previous research suggests that many people prefer to try and help themselves when feeling low, anxious or not sleeping well, before they see their GP. This can include taking products that can be purchased over the counter in pharmacies and health food shops, such as non-prescription medicines, herbal medicines and dietary supplements. Research indicates that healthcare professionals are often not aware of such uses. There is a large range of these products available.

Past research shows that some of these products can be helpful for some people. However little research has been carried out on the effects of many of these products, particularly in older people. People who buy these products are often unsure which are the safest and most effective. Currently, there is little clear evidence or guidance comparing commonly available products.

To overcome this gap, we will carry out a thorough search of existing evidence from research databases. We will review clinical trials that test over-the-counter products for depression, anxiety and insomnia in older people. We will describe the types of products tested, what they are compared to, the conditions they are used for and the effectiveness and safety outcomes from the studies.

We will use the results of this review to prepare for a future statistical comparison of the products found, using ‘network meta-analysis’. We will share our findings from the current project through developing infographics and videos that can be shared and through other information resources used by older people and healthcare professionals.

Amount Awarded: £51,712

Projects by themes

We have grouped projects under the five SPCR themes in this document

Evidence synthesis working group

The collaboration will be conducting 18 high impact systematic reviews, under four workstreams.