Mental Health And Later Life

"This book's main contribution … is to say to us all there is no single solution, no magic bullet, no instant cure, for the discomforts and illnesses of older age, and that not all ageing is comfortable. But it also tells us that it is in our control to do something about much of this, that older people's mental well-being could be vastly improved, and that public policy, and private attitudes, need to change. I hope that it is as influential as it deserves to be." Taken from the foreword by Baroness Julia Neuberger, Former Chief Executive of the King's Fund and author of ‘Not Dead Yet’ Mental health issues amongst older adults are becoming ever more prevalent. This fascinating book looks broadly at the mental health and well being issues that affect adults in later life. Taking a holistic approach to mental health and mental health promotion, the book explores the debates around what is meant by mental health and mental illness and the wider social determinants of mental health. All chapters have a common thread running through them – each of which was identified as being a key theme for mental health and well-being by adults in later life. Among them are issues relating to: Gender Ethnicity Societal diversity Poverty Class Cultural differences A range of examples from the UK and other countries, along with insights gained from older people’s own perspectives, are used to emphasise the evidence base for effective interventions to promote mental health. Case studies, vignettes and quotes demonstrate how social theory and principles of health promotion can be effectively applied to improve practice. Mental Health and Well Being in Later Life is key reading for those working or intending to work in public health, health promotion and health and social care professions, especially those who work with older people.

Focusing on mental health rather than mental illness, this book adopts a lifecourse approach to understanding mental health and wellbeing in later life. Well-respected author and scholar Alisoun Milne explores the influences of lifecourse experiences, structural inequalities, socio-political context, history, gender and age related factors and engages with new ways of thinking about preventing mental ill health and promoting mental health in later life. Drawing together material from a number of different fields, the book analyses the meaning and determinants of mental health among older populations and offers a critical review of the lifecourse, ageing and mental health discourse for students, professionals, policy makers and researchers.

Fully updated and revised, this new edition of a highly successful text provides students, clinicians, and academics with a thorough introduction to aging and mental health. The third edition of Aging and Mental Health is filled with new updates and features, including the impact of the DSM-5 on diagnosis and treatment of older adults. Like its predecessors, it uses case examples to introduce readers to the field of aging and mental health. It also provides both a synopsis of basic gerontology needed for clinical work with older adults and an analysis of several facets of aging well. Introductory chapters are followed by a series of chapters that describe the major theoretical models used to understand mental health and mental disorders among older adults. Following entries are devoted to the major forms of mental disorders in later life, with a focus on diagnosis, assessment, and treatment issues. Finally, the book focuses on the settings and contexts of professional mental health practice and on emerging policy issues that affect research and practice. This combination of theory and practice helps readers conceptualize mental health problems in later life and negotiate the complex decisions involved with the assessment and treatment of those problems. Features new material on important topics including positive mental health, hoarding disorder, chronic pain, housing, caregiving, and ethical and legal concerns Substantially revised and updated throughout, including reference to the DSM-5 Offers chapter-end recommendations of websites for further information Includes discussion questions and critical thinking questions at the end of each chapter Aging and Mental Health, Third Edition is an ideal text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in psychology, for service providers in psychology, psychiatry, social work, and counseling, and for clinicians who are experienced mental health service providers but who have not had much experience working specifically with older adults and their families.

The mental health needs of older people are all too often overlooked or put down to the inevitable effects of old age. This textbook will make it much easier for health professionals to identify, treat and support the needs of this vulnerable group.

The Handbook of Mental Health and Aging, Third Edition provides a foundational background for practitioners and researchers to understand mental health care in older adults as presented by leading experts in the field. Wherever possible, chapters integrate research into clinical practice. The book opens with conceptual factors, such as the epidemiology of mental health disorders in aging and cultural factors that impact mental health. The book transitions into neurobiological-based topics such as biomarkers, age-related structural changes in the brain, and current models of accelerated aging in mental health. Clinical topics include dementia, neuropsychology, psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, mood disorders, anxiety, schizophrenia, sleep disorders, and substance abuse. The book closes with current and future trends in geriatric mental health, including the brain functional connectome, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), technology-based interventions, and treatment innovations. Identifies factors influencing mental health in older adults Includes biological, sociological, and psychological factors Reviews epidemiology of different mental health disorders Supplies separate chapters on grief, schizophrenia, mood, anxiety, and sleep disorders Discusses biomarkers and genetics of mental health and aging Provides assessment and treatment approaches

Focusing on mental health rather than mental illness, this book adopts a lifecourse approach to understanding mental health and wellbeing in later life. Well-respected author and scholar Alisoun Milne explores the influences of lifecourse experiences, structural inequalities, socio-political context, history, gender and age related factors and engages with new ways of thinking about preventing mental ill health and promoting mental health in later life. Drawing together material from a number of different fields, the book analyses the meaning and determinants of mental health among older populations and offers a critical review of the lifecourse, ageing and mental health discourse for students, professionals, policy makers and researchers.

Explore pastoral strategies for dealing with mental health problems! Mental health is increasingly being recognized as an important issue in later life. This valuable book will help you examine this dimension of aging in the context of pastoral, spiritual, and cultural issues. It explores the relationship between mental health, spirituality, and religion in later life, including the search for meaning, cultural issues, spiritual issues, depression, dementia, and issues of suicide in older people. The first part of Mental Health and Spirituality in Later Life focuses on theology, ethics, and cultural issues in mental health and aging. The second part addresses issues of multidisciplinary practice, including a challenging chapter written by a woman with early onset dementia (Alzheimer's) and other chapters that present perspectives on the uses and meanings of ritual and symbolism in mental health and pastoral approaches to care. Part one of Mental Health and Spirituality in Later Life deals with issues of theology, culture, and mental health in later life, focusing on: the importance of a richly textured understanding of personhood as a prerequisite for constructing a picture of late-life mental health in the context of theology the relationship between culture, spirituality, and meaning for older immigrants—and their effects on mental health the adverse effects of a mental health system that reflects only the dominant culture of a society, leaving minority cultures vulnerable to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatments that can do more harm than good a wholistic picture of aging that moves beyond the biomedical paradigm and demonstrates the power and potential of the human spirit in adjusting to and moving beyond suffering Part two of this valuable book addresses issues of concern to practitioners in mental health and spirituality for the aging, including: disruptive behavior among nursing home residents and common practices that fail to identify its causes or address the problem how some staff/resident interactions can produce suffering for all concerned—with case study outlines that illustrate the point memory loss and its effect on spirituality, self-worth, and the faith community pastoral care for people suffering with dementia—with practical information on helping them to make use of the power of prayer and to deal with loneliness, fear, and disempowerment an insightful look at a recent major study of residents in aged care facilities in Australia that explores the link between depression and spirituality risk and protective factors associated with suicide in later life and the treatment of depression pastoral interventions for depression and dementia

Mental, neurological, and substance use disorders are common, highly disabling, and associated with significant premature mortality. The impact of these disorders on the social and economic well-being of individuals, families, and societies is large, growing, and underestimated. Despite this burden, these disorders have been systematically neglected, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, with pitifully small contributions to scaling up cost-effective prevention and treatment strategies. Systematically compiling the substantial existing knowledge to address this inequity is the central goal of this volume. This evidence-base can help policy makers in resource-constrained settings as they prioritize programs and interventions to address these disorders.