Aging & mental health

by Robert N. Butler, Myrna I. Lewis

Book by Butler, Robert N., Lewis, Myrna I.

383 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Wren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because I am studying gerontology with an emphasis on social sciences, this was a textbook that my instructor asked me to preview as a possible course book. It was very densely packed with pertinent information. It was a struggle for me since I haven't taken a psychology class since the 1980s when phenomenology and cognitive science were the dominant theoretical frameworks. Now, psychobiological models prevail, which means there were a lot of details about the workings of the chemicals in the brain in relation to thoughts and behavior. Nevertheless, I was able to keep up with the text, excepting three places: technical diagnostic terms, technical explanations of the chemical processes in Alzheimer's Disease, and technical discussions of a number of medications.


I am surprised this book isn't in a second edition, since the year of publication was 1998. I will keep my eye out for an update.

Here are the chapter titles for anyone interested.



Chapter 1: “Who Are the Elderly?”
Chapter 2: “Older People and Their Families”
Chapter 3: “Healthy, Successful Old Age”
Chapter 4: “Common Emotional Problems”
Chapter 5: “Common Psychiatric Disorders”
Chapter 6: “Cognitive Disorders”
Chapter 7: “Special Concerns: Race and Ethnicity, Older Women and Gender Issues, Crime, Alcoholism, Deafness, Blindness and Sexuality”
Chapter 8: “General Treatment Principles”
Chapter 9: “Diagnostic Evaluation: How to Do a Workup”
Chapter 10: “How to Keep People at Home”
Chapter 11: “Proper Institutional Care”
Chapter 12: “Psychotherapy and Environmental Therapy”
Chapter 13: “Drug and Other Somatic Therapies”