The feasibility and impact of a brief behavioural intervention for anxiety in later life: perceptions of general practice nurses.

Background: Anxiety is prevalent in older people and is associated with adverse health outcomes. Early detection and intervention are imperative, yet clinically significant anxiety in older people is often under-diagnosed. When diagnosed, pharmacotherapy is often the initial treatment, but resistance due to stigma, polypharmacy concerns, and side effects are common among the elderly.

Facilitating Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety in Older People: History, Effectiveness, and Future Possibilities.

The origins of mindfulness go back some 25 centuries to Eastern teachings, including Buddhism and Hinduism. Mindfulness-based interventions gained credence in Western mental health settings in the late 1970s through the work of medical researcher Kabat-Zinn, whose interest in Eastern meditation led him to develop a program for stress reduction. Since then, mindfulness-based interventions have been utilized for various populations, including older people with anxiety.

Practice nurses' communication with people living with type 2 diabetes: A scoping review.

Objective: To identify the key characteristics of practice nurses' communication with people living with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) where lifestyle activities are discussed.

Methods: A scoping review of the peer-reviewed literature was conducted. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify key themes that emerged.

Practice nurses and providing preconception care to women in Australia: a qualitative study.

The aims of this study were to explore women's and health professionals' perspectives of preconception care and whether expanding the role of practice nurses (PNs) to provide preconception care is acceptable. In a descriptive qualitative approach, 23 semistructured interviews and three focus groups were conducted with women (n=14), PNs (n=8), GPs (n=10) and practice managers (n=2) in the state of Victoria, Australia, between September and December 2019. An inductive process of thematic analysis identified five themes and 12 subthemes.

General practice nurse-led screening for anxiety in later life in Australian primary care settings.

Objective: To test the feasibility of general practice nurse (GPN)-led screening for clinically significant symptoms of anxiety (CSSA) in older people and to estimate the prevalence of CSSA.

Methods: General practice nurse-led screening for CSSA was undertaken in eight general practices by integrating the five-item Geriatric Anxiety Inventory-Short Form (GAI-SF) into the annual 75 years and older health assessment (75+ HA). Prevalence rates were calculated, and field notes were analysed.

Mental Health Nurses Supporting the Routine Assessment of Anxiety of Older People in Primary Care Settings: Insights from an Australian Study.

Anxiety in older age is a worldwide problem and co-associated with other mental health problems, physical health conditions, disability, reduced quality of life and increased healthcare utilisation. Yet the symptoms of anxiety are often unrecognised in older people, challenging early diagnosis and increasing the risk of older people developing more chronic and disabling illness. This article reports on research led by mental health nurses and a primary care nurse that supported primary care practitioners to undertake a routine assessment of anxiety in older people in Australia.