Guide to the Psychiatry of Old Age

by David Ames , Edmond Chiu , James Lindesay , Kenneth I. Shulman

• ISBN13: 9780521681919
• ISBN10: 052168191X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-16
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

With rapid ageing of the world's population, psychiatry of old age has become a crucial discipline. This succinct guide to the scope and practice of the psychiatry of old age provides an up-to-date summary of existing knowledge, best practice and future challenges for the specialty, from a global perspective. From definitions and demography to epidemiology, aetiology, and principles of assessment, diagnosis and management, each chapter is sharp, clear and practical, enhanced by tables and diagrams for quick assimilation and reference on the ward or in the clinic. As well as the main psychiatric conditions encountered in old age, coverage also includes legal and ethical issues, and the neglected topic of alcohol and drug abuse in the elderly. Written by leading clinicians, teachers and researchers and offering a much-needed international focus, this compact guide is essential reading for practising psychiatrists and geriatricians, as well as trainees, nurses and medical students.

Author Biography

David Ames is Director of the National Ageing Research Institute, and University of Melbourne Foundation Professor of Ageing and Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Edmond Chiu is Professorial Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. James Lindesay is Professor of Psychiatry for the Elderly, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK. Kenneth I. Shulman is Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. vii
Preface	p. xi
Abbreviations	p. xiii
What is the psychiatry of old age and why do we need it?	p. 1
Assessing the elderly psychiatric patient	p. 5
Differential diagnosis - the 3Ds	p. 23
The dementias	p. 31
Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia	p. 49
Delirium	p. 57
Mood disorders in late life (A - Depression, B - Bipolar disorders and mania)	p. 69
Schizophrenia and related disorders in late life	p. 87
Neurotic and personality disorders (A - Neurotic disorders, B - Personality disorders)	p. 95
Substance abuse and iatrogenesis in late life	p. 113
Services for older patients with psychiatric disorders	p. 121
The future of the psychiatry of old age	p. 129
Index	p. 137
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