This thesis comprises a literature review, a research report, and a critical appraisal. Section one: A review of the literature on the psychological consequences of falling among older people. This includes a consideration of the psychological consequences of falling, detailing prevalence and correlates. Evidence was found for the development of fear of falls, depression, anxiety, post-fall syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after falls, and these difficulties have been correlated with increasing age of the individual, personality, health and fall-related factors. Little research has investigated the incidence of PTSD in this population, and no research to date has examined the role of shame with regard to falling. Section two: A prospective, repeated measures design (n=49) was employed, in which older people attending falls programmes completed questionnaires examining the attributions, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic symptomology and shame, before, and at the end of the falls group. Clinically significant levels of PTSD and other psychological symptoms are present after falls, which change over time, and are related to external shame, affective disorders and the presence of negative internal, global attributions for their fall. Section three: The critical appraisal considers the research process for this study, based upon information from the research diary. The origins of the project, supervision, data collection, facilitators and barriers to the process are considered. Learning outcomes, methodological limitations and clinical implications are discussed.