As people get older, issues like physical frailty, cognitive decline, grief, and loneliness can take a serious toll on their mental health. Around the world, it is important for countries to monitor and support the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of their aging populations. New survey research from the Commonwealth Fund, looking at adults age 65 and older in the United States and nine other countries, examines why people do not get the mental health care they need.

This article uses interviews from The People Say to demonstrate firsthand how older adults are experiencing loneliness and mental health in their own words. The People Say is a qualitative data platform developed as part of the PPLUS65 project, in collaboration with the Public Policy Lab and The SCAN Foundation.