Psychology of Aging

The psychology of aging is an exciting and rapidly-developing field. This volume provides a collection of classic, original and often widely-cited papers, including some older papers which may be hard to find through conventional searches. Taken together, they help to address some key questions: what are the cognitive changes related to aging? Is mental exercise useful? To what extent might intelligence, education or stimulating mental activities delay or even reduce cognitive symptoms of dementia? However, the book goes well beyond cognition and addresses social and emotional changes in aging, as well as looking at how lifestyle factors may be influential in psychological functioning. The section on the psychology of dementia covers the evolving psychological models, plus innovative types of psychological interventions. As more people live to an age where they are dependent on others, the book also considers the stresses on carers and how carers can be supported. Lastly, other aspects of mental health problems in old-age are addressed, including depression, PTSD and personality disorder. This collection of intriguing and inspiring papers will liven up the shelves of students, researchers and academics in the field as well as being a very useful resource for research, teaching and study.

Martin Orrell is a Professor in the Department of Mental Health Sciences at University College London, UK and Dr Aimee Spector is from the Department of Mental Healh Sciences at University College London, UK

Contents: Introduction; Part I Cognition and Aging: The stability of individual differences in mental ability from childhood to old age: follow-up of the 1932 Scottish mental survey, Ian J. Deary, Lawrence J. Whalley, Helen Lemmon, J.R. Crawford and John M. Starr; Practice and drop-out effects during a 17-Year longitudinal study of cognitive aging, Patrick Rabbitt, Peter Diggle, Fiona Holland and Lynn McInnes; Emergence of a powerful connection between sensory and cognitive functions across the adult lifespan: a new window to the study of cognitive aging?, Paul B. Baltes and Ulman Lindberger; What is cognitive reserve? Theory and research application of the reserve concept, Yaakov Stern; Psychological perspectives on successful aging: the model of selective optimization with compensation, Paul B. Baltes and Margret M. Baltes. Part II Social and Emotional; Functioning in Old Age: Resilience, sense of coherence, purpose in life and self-transcendence in relation to perceived physical and mental health among the oldest old, B. Nygren, L. Aléx, E. Jonsén, Y. Gustafson, A. Norberg and B. Lundman; Variation in the impact of social network characteristics on physical functioning in elderly persons, Jennifer B. Unger, Gail McAvay, Martha L. Bruce, Lisa Berkman and Teresa Seeman; Social support and stressful life events: age differences in their effects on health-related quality of life among the chronically ill, C. Donald Sherbourne, L.S. Meredith, W. Rogers and J.E. Ware Jr; Taking time seriously: a theory of socioemotional selectivity, Laura L. Carstensen, Derek M. Isaacowitz and Susan T. Charles. Part III Life Style and Wellbeing in Old Age: Late-life engagement in social and leisure activities is associated with a decreased risk of dementia: a longitudinal study from the Kungsholmen Project, Hui-Xin Wang, Anita Karp, Bengt Winblad and Laura Fratiglioni; Leisure activities and the risk of dementia in the elderly, Joe Verghese, Richard B. Lipton, Mindy J. Katz, Charles B. Hall, Carol A. Derby, Gail Kuslansky, Anne F. Ambrose, Martin Sliwinski and Herman Buschke; The efficacy of exercise as a long-term antidepressant in elderly subjects: a randomized, controlled trial, Nalin A. Singh, Karen M. Clements and Maria A. Fiatarone Singh. Part IV Psychological Aspects of Dementia: Towards a theory of dementia care: personhood and well-being, Tom Kitwood and Kathleen Bredin; Discovering the person with Alzheimer's disease: cognitive,emotional and behavioural aspects, R.T. Woods; Reality orientation for the geriatric patient, Lucille R. Taulbee and James C. Folsom; Efficacy of an evidence-based cognitive stimulation therapy programme for people with dementia: randomised controlled trial, Aimee Spector, Lene Thorgrimsen, Bob Woods, Lindsay Royan, Steve Davies, Margaret Butterworth and Martin Orrell; Nonpharmacologic interventions for inappropriate behaviors in dementia: a review, summary, and critique, Jiska Cohen-Mansfield; Early diagnosis of dementia: neuropsychology, Florence Pasquier; Staff factors associated with perception of behaviour as 'challenging' in residential and nursing homes, E. Moniz-Cook, R. Woods and E. Gardiner. Part V Families and Carers in Old Age: Factors affecting the emotional wellbeing of the caregivers of dementia sufferers, Robin G. Morris, Lorna W. Morris and Peter G. Britton; Caregiving and the stress process: an overview of concepts and their measures, Leonard I. Pearlin, Joseph T. Mullan, Shirley J. Semple and Marilyn M. Skaff; Relatives of the impaired elderly: correlates of feelings of burden, Steven H. Zarit, Karen E. Reever and Julie Bach-Peterson; Meta-analysis of psychosocial interventions for caregivers of people with dementia, Henry Brodaty, Alisa Green and Annette Koschera; Sustained benefit of supportive intervention for depressive symptoms in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease, Mary S. Mittelman, David L. Roth, David W. Coon and William E. Haley; Long-term effects of a control relevant intervention with the institutionalized aged, Judith Rodin and Ellen J. Langer; Dementia care and quality of life in assisted living and nursing homes, Sheryl Zimmerman, Philip D. Sloane, Christianna S. Williams, Peter S. Reed, John S. Preisser, J. Kevin Eckert, Malaz Boustani and Debra Dobbs. Part VI Psychological Aspects of Mental Health Problems in Old Age: Depression in late life: review and commentary, Dan G. Blazer; Negative life events and depressive symptoms in the elderly: a life span perspective, V. Kraaij and E.J. de Wilde; Comprehensive conceptualization of cognitive behaviour therapy for late life depression, Ken Laidlaw, Larry W. Thompson and Dolores Gallagher-Thompson; A randomised, controlled trial of a group intervention to reduce fear of falling and associated activity restriction in older adults, Sharon Tennstedt, Jonathan Howland, Margie Lachman, Elizabeth Peterson, Linda Kasten and Alan Jette; The effects of late life spousal bereavement over a 30 month interval, Lar