Mental health Q and A - Par-Con 2025

Mental wellbeing can be affected at any stage of Parkinson’s, and can be one of the hardest parts of the condition to talk about. At Par-Con 2025, our annual event for the Parkinson’s community, our panel explored why this happens and shared some practical tips.

Meet the panel

• Scott Beighton was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s at 44
• Dr Angeliki Bogosian is Reader in Health Psychology at City, University of London
• Prof Suzanne Reeves is Professor of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology at University College London

Scott describes the shock of his diagnosis openly: "I walked out of the doctor’s room in a cloud. I sat in my car for an hour and cried."

Already struggling with his mental health, things worsened quickly. He says: "I went downhill very fast… but I’m not ashamed of struggling. Talking about it helped me get support."

Scott uses the image of a helter-skelter to explain how quickly his mood can spiral. "You start at the top, but when things get bad you slide down fast - and the bottom is where you don’t want to be."

Over time, he has learned to create what he calls "handholds" to slow the slide.

• Exercise: "I run to use up negative energy. Other days I go slowly and listen to what’s around me in nature."
• Friendships: "I have people I can ring 24/7. Even at 3am, someone will answer."
• Humour: "Jokes can snap me out of a spiral. Humour helps us cope."
• Being honest: "If I keep saying ‘I’m fine’, people believe me. It makes things worse."
• Getting help: "If you’re always having bad days, speak to someone and get a referral for professional help."

"It’s okay not to be okay. It’s okay to struggle. But you don’t need to struggle on your own."

Dr Angeliki Bogosian introduced PACT, a wellbeing app developed with people living with Parkinson’s. "People wanted something positive and straightforward," she explained, "not a reminder of Parkinson’s every day." 

The app uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

"If we have an unhelpful or uncomfortable thought, we can acknowledge it and stay in the present moment. We don’t spend energy fighting it, ignoring it, or trying to change it," Angeliki explained.

One of the practical techniques the app teaches is bringing mindful attention to ordinary tasks. "When you make a cup of tea, notice the sound of the kettle or the sound of the water as you pour it, notice the change in smell and colour. 

"If you notice your mind wandering, simply recognise this and gently escort it back to focus on what you are currently doing."

• Read our Tech Guide review of the PACT app

Prof Suzanne Reeves explains that around half of people with Parkinson’s experience some cognitive changes within 10 years of diagnosis: "Dopamine helps us concentrate, multitask, solve problems, and make decisions," she says. So when Parkinson’s causes low dopamine, these tasks become harder.

But Suzanne stresses that many everyday factors can also affect thinking. "Feeling anxious or depressed, poor sleep, hearing or visual problems, or pain all make the brain work harder."

Simple habits can help. Some people find it easier to keep items like keys, glasses, or medications in the same place. Calendars, alarms, and reminder apps can take the pressure off memory.

Suzanne encourages people to talk to their Parkinson’s nurse or specialist early if they notice cognitive changes. Getting support early can make a real difference.

Visual hallucinations can be surprisingly common, because Parkinson’s leads to subtle changes in the way visual information is processed.

Some hallucinations are harmless, such as seeing a small animal, but others can be more unsettling, like seeing unfamiliar people at home.

Suzanne explains that simple health issues can make hallucinations more likely. "A respiratory or urinary infection can increase the tendency to hallucinate," she says.

Improving lighting to reduce shadows, checking eyesight, and reviewing medication with a clinician can all help.

• Read about a trial of a medication to treat hallucinations