Handbook of Mental Health and Aging

This book is a thorough revision of one of the most comprehensive reference volumes for persons working in the area of aging and mental health. The thrust of the work is interdisciplinary, and discusses research on both clinical and practical issues in aging and mental health.The multidisciplinary nature of this book and the inclusion of subject matter from the professional as well as research realm result in a level of comprehensiveness which is distinct in the field of mental health and agingEach chapter contains a comprehensive bibliography, the compilation of which represents a definitive reference source in the fieldThe chapters review state-of-the-art research in the biological, behavioral, and social sciences and represent the cutting-edge of current practice in psychiatry, neurology, social work, nursing, psychology, and pharmacology, among other professionsThe compilation of prevalence data is a much-needed addition to the current literatureThe multidisciplinary nature of this book and the inclusion of both clinical and practical issues makes the book distinctively comprehensive

About the Author

James E. Birren is currently Associate Director of the Center on Aging at the University of California, Los Angeles, and serves as an adjunct professor in medicine, psychiatry, and biobehavioral sciences. He is also professor emeritus of gerontology and psychology at the University of Southern California. Dr. Birren's previous postions include service as Chief of the section on aging of the National Institute of Mental Health, founding Executive Director and Dean of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center of USC, founding Director of the Anna and Harry Borun Center for Gerontological Research at UCLA, and President of the Gerontological Society of America, the Western Gerontological Society, and the Division on Adult Development and Aging of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Birren's many awards include the Brookdale Foundation Award for Gerontological Research, the Sandoz prize for Gerontological Research, and the award for outstanding contribution to gerontology by the Canadian Association of Gerontology. Author of over 250 scholarly publications, Dr. Birren has research interests including how speed of behavior changes with age, the causes and consequences of slowed information processing in the older nervous system, the effect of age on decision-making processes, and the role of expertise in skilled occupations. He has served as a delegate to several White House Conferences on Aging and continues to have a strong interest in developing national priorities for research and education related to issues of aging.