What are the barriers and facilitators to psychologists in Older People’s Mental Health (OPMH) services embracing Positive Behaviour Support in their clinical practice?

Abstract

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is recommended as a useful framework for supporting individuals with dementia displaying Behaviours that Challenge (BtC) but there is limited research exploring how psychologists working in Older People’s Mental Health (OPMH) services integrate PBS into their clinical practice. This study aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to OPMH psychologists delivering PBS interventions by completing an audit of psychology referral trends, surveying PBS use amongst non-psychology OPMH staff and completing individual interviews with OPMH psychologists. The results revealed that OPMH psychologists received a low number of referrals for PBS-informed interventions, with other clinical tasks (neuropsychological assessment and psychological therapy) often taking priority. After considering the identified barriers and facilitators to PBS delivery, recommendations were outlined considering opportunities to increase PBS interventions within an OPMH context.