Mental Health and Illness of the Elderly

This book consolidates current knowledge in the field and discusses psychiatric disorders among the elderly, while bridging the gap between clinical practice and the socio-cultural contexts. The book is particularly important in the face of rapidly changing conditions globally and challenges such as migration, war and violence, diminishing physical health due to ageing and their impact on the mental health of elderly. Longevity is a great gift of medical sciences and modern health care and since the benefit of longevity comes with specific mental health issues of the elderly, this book responds to the heightened need to understand and address the mental health challenges of the elderly.

Tentative Table of Contents.- Challenges of ageing populations around the world.- Mental health problems of the elderly.- Epidemiology of mental disorders – cross cultural comparison.- Neurobiology of dementia.-Psychopathology of depression / dementia/ delirium/ delusional disorder.- Co-morbidities with physical illnesses.- Pharmacotherapy.- Psychological therapies.- Early detection of mental disorders program.- Elderly services from different countries.- Community care.- Health economics of service.- Caregivers program.- Dementia prevention.- Elderly suicide - Suicide prevention.

Helen Chiu is professor of Psychiatry at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is president of several prominent associations, such as, International Psychogeriatric Association and Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists, Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists. She is a prolific author with her papers appearing in most of the prominent journal in the field.  
Kenneth Shulman is an Affiliate Scientist with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Professor of Psychiatry with the University of Toronto
David Ames is Professor and Executive Director, National Ageing Research Institute, University of Melbourne..  Professor Ames has published over 140 papers in peer reviewed journals and has edited or co-written 17 books. He edited IPA Bulletin, the quarterly newsletter of IPA from 1996-2002, is a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Panel of Alzheimer’s Disease International and and was the Editor in Chief of the scientific journal International Psychogeriatrics from 2003 to 2011.