Aging and mental health / Michael A. Smyer and Sara H. Qualls.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 286-321) and index.

Part I. Introduction:- 1. Mental health and aging: an introduction:- What is normal aging? A conceptual definition--A statistical definition--A functional definition--What is abnormal or unusual aging?--Mental health and mental illness--Linking the physical and mental in later life: Comorbidity--Individual difference and assessment of risk--The context of clinicians and clients: now what do we do?--Summary and conclusion -- 2. Basic gerontology for working with older adults:- Introduction--Developmental issues in mental health and aging--Normal and pathological aging--Individual differences--Age differences and age changes--Changing person/environment interactions--Reversability of age-related behavior change--Working with older adults: similar or different? Differences-- Similarities -- Part II: Models of mental health in later life:- Introduction--Case example--3. Psychodynamic model:- Personality: A dynamic interplay --Personality developmen t --Adult development: the context for aging--Developmental tasks and stages--Internal developmental processes--Development of defensive styles--Mental health in later life--Development of psychopathology--Losses--Underdeveloped self or immature defenses--Compensation for lost ego strength--Inability to preserve or build coherent narrative--Assessment--Treatment--Supportive therapy--Psychotherapy process--Critique and summary--4. Behavioral Model:- Introduction to the model--Mental health--Mental health in older adults--Assessment--Purposes of assessment --Principles of behavioral assessment--Treatment--Alter reinforcement contingencies-- Differential reinforcement--Generalization (of stimuli and of responses)--Extinction--Shaping/chaining--A practical concern--Ethical considerations--Conclusion-- 5. Stress and coping:- Introduction--Theoretical framework--Well-being--Stress and coping: Normal and abnormal adaptation--Assessment strategies--Assessing individual vulnerabilities--Assessing life stresses--Assessing protective factors--Treatment strateies--Eliminating stressors--Modifying the environment--Teaching coping skills--Providing social support--Improving health practices--General Treatment Considerations -- 6. Family systems model:- Aging families--Family dynamics: A systems model--Mental health within a systems model--Assessment--Family structure--Family development--Family functioning--Family history--Intervention--Summary and commentary: choosing among models of mental disorders in later life--Applying models in indiidual life circumstances-- If all models differ in their basic elements, how do we choose among them? -- Part III. Introduction to mental disorders:- Introduction -- 7.Cognitive impairment:- Is CI normal for older adults?--Delirium : a common, reversible cause of CI--Dementia: The most devastating cause of CI--Depression and cognitive impairment--Assessment--Interventions--Planning--Environmental interventions--Behavior Management--Intervention to enhance cognitive functioning--Conclusion -- 8. Depression:- Definition of depression--Prevalence of depressions in Older Adults--Risk Factors for depression--Theories of etiology--Assessment--Interventions -- 9. Severe mental illness in older adults: schizophrenia and other late-life psychoses:- Introduction--Schizophrenia over the life-span: a general overview--Differences in the onset, course, and outcome of schizophrenia--Course and outcome--The aging persons with schizophrenia--The aging person with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS)--Late-onset schizophrenia--Other severe mental disorders affecting older adults--Treatment of schizophrenia in late life--Biological treatment--Psycho-social interventions--Summary -- 10. Other Disorders and difficulties:- Anxiety--Substance abuse--Personality disorders--Marital conflicts--Family problems--Conclusion -- Part IV. Contexts of practice:- Introduction--11. Institutional contexts for mental health services:- Introduction--Is there a nursing home in your future?-- The nursing-home community--The residents--The staff--The fit between residents and staff--The nursing home reform Act of 1987--Pre-admission screening--Residents' rights--Staff training--What's a clinician to do?--Assessment--Treatment--Consultation--Summary -- 12.The contexts and pragmatics of practice:- The profession's definition of practice competence, or what does a geriatric mental health practitioner Do?--Geriatric assessment--Geriatric intervention--Modifying your approach for a specific setting--Interdisciplinary collaboration: what can you expect from others and what can they expect from you?--Ethical issues--Funding: Who will pay the bills?--Social policy initiatives that affect geriatric mental health care: The example of decision-making capacity--Conclusion.

This work is a comprehensive introduction to, and overview of, ageing and mental health. It provides detailed discussion of the reigning theoretical models of mental health, and their application to later life. Case material is included.