Mental Health Issues of Older Women

Discover the latest research on the mental health concerns of older women Women are the primary consumers of mental health services, however, there is a paucity of research on their specific needs. Mental Health Issues of Older Women: A Comprehensive Review for Health Care Professionals presents a comprehensive overview for health care professionals, educators, and students on the study of mental health problems of aging women. This resource provides the latest research and informed perspectives by seasoned mental health clinicians. A wide range of mental health problems are explored, including dementia, cognitive impairment, alcohol abuse, schizophrenia, depression and anxiety disorders, traumatic and dissociative disorders, sexual and eating disorders, and personality disorders. Mental Health Issues of Older Women provides practicing therapists and counselors with a much-needed research update and a broad clinical perspective from respected experts. This book uses current psychiatric diagnoses as a framework to gain greater depth of understanding to address the mental health issues of older women. Students and health professionals will discover valuable information, inspiration, and encouragement in their work with middle-aged and older women who are facing mental health challenges. This volume provides extensive references. Topics in Mental Health Issues of Older Women include: - the role of cognitive impairment in older persons - assessment tools and treatment options for older women who display alcohol use problems - schizophrenia in older women - major depressive disorder among older women - therapeutic options for anxiety disorders - under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed incidents of PTSD - a provocative look at dissociative identity disorder - sexual problems with treatment options - eating disorders with treatment approaches - effective treatment options for borderline personality disorder Mental Health Issues of Older Women provides practitioners, educators, students, researchers, and administrators with an essential review of the latest research and current issues on the mental health problems of older women.

Victor J. Malatesta

- Introduction: The Need to Address Older Women's Mental Health Issues (Victor J. Malatesta) - Cognitive Functioning and Aging in Women (Peter C. Badgio and Blaise L. Worden) - Women, Aging, and Alcohol Use Disorders (Elizabeth E. Epstein, Kimberly Fischer-Elber, and Zayed Al-Otaiba) - Women, Aging, and Schizophrenia (Faith B. Dickerson) - Major Depressive Disorder in the Older Adult: Implications for Women (Reed D. Goldstein and Alan M. Gruenberg) - Anxiety Disorders and Older Women (Stephen Levine and Jay Weissman) - Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Older Women (Miriam Franco) - The Older Female Patient with a Complex Chronic Dissociative Disorder (Richard P. Kluft) - Sexual Problems, Women and Aging: An Overview (Victor J. Malatesta) - Eating Disorders Across the Life Span (Lynn Brandsma) - Borderline Personality Disorder Across the Life Span (Melissa Hunt) - Conclusions (Victor J. Malatesta) - About the Contributors - Index - Reference Notes Included