Zauważ niedostrzegane - partnerstwo współpracy na rzecz przeciwdziałania depresji u osób w wieku późnej dojrzałości.

The main objective was to raise awareness about depression among people in late adulthood and to counteract their exclusion from the mental health discourse. The project was educational and preven...

The main objective was to raise awareness about depression among people in late adulthood and to counteract their exclusion from the mental health discourse. The project was educational and preventive in nature – it involved the creation of materials supporting the development of resilience and enabling the recognition of signs of depression and suicidal risk. We wanted both seniors and the staff working with them to better understand the mechanisms of crisis and have specific support tools at their disposal. It was also important to create a space for talking about emotions and difficult experiences of old age, without taboos or stigmatisation. The project also aimed to strengthen the competence of staff, develop international cooperation and jointly develop a model of action that can be scaled in different local environments – including those where access to psychological help is limited.

The project included a number of local and transnational activities. A mobility programme for trainers was carried out in Spain (October 2024), which allowed for the exchange of experiences and learning about good practices in supporting seniors in crisis. At the same time, a publication entitled ‘Notice the Unnoticed – Faces of Senior Depression’ was developed, containing workshop scenarios, exercises and educational materials. This was followed by a series of local workshops for seniors in Poland and Spain, which tested the developed content in practice. The last key activity carried out as part of the project was the mobility of seniors (June 2025). Scaling activities were also carried out – disseminating materials among trainers, institutions and people supporting the elderly. In addition, needs assessments, consultations with seniors and communication activities in the media and online were carried out, including the launch of the project website. All activities were in line with the objectives and had a psychological, educational and preventive dimension.

The main outcome of the project was the development of a script entitled ‘Notice the Unnoticed – Faces of Senior Depression’ in three languages, available to seniors and support staff. The publication contains information about depression, practical exercises, workshop scenarios and tools for recognising emotional crises. Workshop participants – both seniors and trainers – strengthened their knowledge and emotional competence. The project contributed to raising awareness of the problem of depression in late adulthood and reducing the taboo surrounding this topic. It also resulted in strengthening cooperation between the Foundation and its Spanish partner and developing staff resources. The materials are still being used after the end of the project – in local, educational and training activities. An additional benefit was the creation of a space for discussing difficult emotions and changing the social perception of seniors as a group with unique and important psychological needs.