Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mental health illnesses are prevalent for older adults. Despite the effectiveness of treatments for improving mental health, the uptake is low. Interventions that target barriers to mental health help seeking lead to improved treatment uptake in adults and younger populations. However, the effects, characteristics, and experience of these interventions for older adults remain unclear. The first aim of this mixed methods review is to explore the effects of interventions for improving help seeking in community dwelling older adults with mental health difficulties. The secondary aims are to describe the characteristics, feasibility and acceptability of these interventions to interest-holders. METHODS: The review protocol was developed in accordance with the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis using Mixed Methods Systematic Reviews. An electronic search of Medline, PsychINFO, EBSCOhost, Scopus and Web of Science will be performed based on inclusion criteria; older adults (60 years +), with mental health symptoms or a diagnosis, and interventions to improve mental health help seeking attitudes, intentions or behaviour. Quantitative data will be synthesised using the SWiM guideline and synthesis approach will be determined based on the data available within the studies. Secondary data will be synthesised from mixed method and qualitative studies using a combination of descriptive statistics and JBI meta-aggregation. The separate synthesis will then be integrated using the JBI convergent segregated approach and a narrative summary provided. Systematic searches, data extraction, analysis and write up are expected to be completed by March 2026. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this review will provide evidence for the effects of help seeking interventions for older adults living with mental health difficulties. We also aim to investigate the characteristics, feasibility and acceptability to interest-holders and integrate these findings to help clarify how future policy development and programs can be developed to facilitate help seeking in older adults with such difficulties. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42023456657.