Laura L. Carstensen – författare

Applied gerontology and geriatrics always entail a multidisciplinary perspective and usually demand an interdisciplinary treatment approach. Providing a unique combination of perspectives, treatment approaches, and expertise, The Practical Handbook of Clinical Gerontology explores issues relevant to practitioners who work with the elderly. A leading cast of contributors--representing the fields of psychology, medicine, neuropsychology, nursing, and law--examines what is known about specific disorders and discusses treatment techniques and the development of intervention plans. This comprehensive volume begins with an overview of several broad topics pertinent to the treatment of older adults and discusses special considerations in assessment. It then presents up-to-date information on treatment of specific psychological and behavioral disorders of older adults. The final section covers interdisciplinary issues, including information about common medical problems, rehabilitation, and the psychopharmacological treatment of mental health problems. Written in a language that is accessible to a general health care audience, this extensive volume will be a valuable resource for mental health care providers, medical students, researchers, and graduate students in such fields as geriatrics, gerontology, nursing, psychology, and social work. **Please note the following three quotes are from the same person** "This handbook has a variety of attributes that make it a highly desirable desk reference for today′s mental health practitioners in geriatrics and gerontology. Few stones have been left unturned in the 22 reader-friendly chapters that comprise the handbook. Not only are general treatment issues addressed in great detail but assessment procedures, the treatment of specialized psychological and behavioral problems, and even issues in effective collaboration with medical geriatricians are considered. The scope and breadth of clinical knowledge and wisdom found within the covers of this volume are certainly impressive." --Lenard W. Kaye, Professor, Bryn Mawr College "The authors have succeeded in drawing on the expertise of a broad range of recognized authorities in clinical gerontology who have the capacity to communicate to the reader with considerable clarity both current information and best-practice strategies of mental health intervention with older adults." --Lenard W. Kaye, Professor, Bryn Mawr College "It would be difficult to find another reference source in clinical gerontological practice that is able to deal with the challenges of practice in this area with greater comprehensiveness and authority. The multidisciplinary perspective of the handbook ensures it being a valuable addition to the clinical practice collections of psychologists, social workers, nurses, gerontologists, and other allied health professionals. And, once obtained it should not gather dust given the currency and utility of the information." --Lenard W. Kaye, Professor, Bryn Mawr College

In recent years ideas about the influence of psychological status on physical health have been elevated from intuition and clinical lore to a legitimate area of scientific study. Mechanisms of influence are, indubitably, diverse. Some of this influence is indirect, accounted for simply by the instrumental help that social engagement, associated with good mental health, affords people; for example, psychologically "healthy" people are probably more likely to comply with medication regimens and engage in other healthful behaviors to a greater extent than those who are socially withdrawn or psychologically unstable. But recent studies suggest that while the importance of these more obvious factors cannot be denied, the complete picture includes factors that are much more subtle and complex. A body of research is beginning to accumulate that suggests that all three major regulatory systems -- the central nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system -- are affected by cognitions, emotions and behavior. There is no doubt that a relationship between mental and physical health exists, but very little is known about the specific mechanisms by which such influence occurs. At least in part, empirical research in this area has been limited by the inherent need for an interdisciplinary approach and synthesis of collected data. Recently, a few researchers in a number of different disciplines have begun to study directly the linkage between psychological and emotional well­ being and health.

Possible new breakthroughs in understanding the aging mind that can be used to benefit older people are now emerging from research. This volume identifies the key scientific advances and the opportunities they bring. For example, science has learned that among older adults who do not suffer from Alzheimera (TM)s disease or other dementias, cognitive decline may depend less on loss of brain cells than on changes in the health of neurons and neural networks. Research on the processes that maintain neural health shows promise of revealing new ways to promote cognitive functioning in older people. Research is also showing how cognitive functioning depends on the conjunction of biology and culture. The ways older people adapt to changes in their nervous systems, and perhaps the changes themselves, are shaped by past life experiences, present living situations, changing motives, cultural expectations, and emerging technology, as well as by their physical health status and sensory-motor capabilities.Improved understanding of how physical and contextual factors interact can help explain why some cognitive functions are impaired in aging while others are spared and why cognitive capability is impaired in some older adults and spared in others. On the basis of these exciting findings, the report makes specific recommends that the U.S. government support three major new initiatives as the next steps for research.