Psychiatry in the Elderly

Old-age psychiatry continues to grow as speciality, driven by research advances, demographics and political will. Psychiatric services and treatments for the old are improving and the outlook for further progress is encouraging.
In this new edition of the classic textbook of old age psychiatry, Robin Jacoby and Catherine Oppenheimer have retained the coherent structure of previous editions, approaching the topic under the section headings of basic sciencej, clinical practice, psychiatric services and specific disorders; however, within this logical structure they have conducted a major revision, bringing in a number of new authors and covering the full range of new research. The exciting developments in the field of molecular biology are covered as are the improvements in our understanding of the pathogenesis of the dementias, specifically, although not limited to Alzheimer's Disease.
All of the chapters in this new edition have been revised and updated and there are new chapters on quality of life measurement, the economics of care, suicide in old age, hallucinations and functional symptoms in Parkinson's Disease. The team of expert contributors has grown to 62 in number, representing a wide range of specialities and providing input from nine different countries. This has resulted in the most comprehensive and holistic review of the field.
Psychiatry in the Elderly continues to be essential reading for trainees, practicing psychiatrists and those in other branches of care whose work brings them into contact with elderly psychiatric patients.

Robin Jacoby is in the Department of Psychiatry, The Warneford Hospital, Oxford. Catherine Oppenheimer is at The Warneford Hospital, Oxford.