Mental Disorders in Older Adults: Fundamentals in Assessment and Treatment

Abstract

Despite the rapidly swelling ranks of older adults, there is overall concern that the current and future cadre of mental health professionals, as well as other health providers, are ill-equipped to care for the special psychiatric needs of this population. One of the greatest challenges is effectively evaluating and managing the complexities of mental disabilities in old age. This challenge not only requires a thorough understanding of psychiatric disorders in later life, but also the ability to distinguish these disturbances from normal age-related changes.