Older people’s experiences of an adapted structured clinical management group programme: A qualitative analysis

Structured Clinical Management (SCM) was originally developed for working-age adults with complex emotional needs (CEN); however, older adults (OAs) with CEN often present with unique needs and challenges of aging that typical CEN interventions may not support. Building on Beldon el al.’s, (2025) original evaluation, which combined quantitative outcomes and two qualitative feedback questions this article reports in detail the qualitative experiences of 16 participants (aged 65+) who attended a pilot SCM group programme adapted for OAs. The programme consisted of three eight-week modules: distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relational skills. Qualitative data was obtained from post-module feedback questionnaires and analysed using template analysis. The initial results indicate that participants had a positive experience of the SCM programme, with benefits including peer support, coping skills and hope for the future. Participants also highlighted further adaptations that could make the group even more effective. These promising findings support the importance of making OA-specific adaptations to SCM and warrant further research with a larger and more diverse sample of OAs.