Book Review: Geriatric Psychiatry: Mental Disorders in Older Adults: Fundamentals of Assessment and Treatment, 2nd Edition

Abstract

Reviews the book, Mental disorders in older adults: Fundamentals of assessment and treatment, 2nd edition by Steven H. Zarit and Judy M. Zarit (see record 2006-21410-000). The purpose of this book is to provide an overview of the assessment and treatment of mental disorders in later life. It was written for clinicians, students, and researchers. There are many areas of strength in the book including the chapters on assessment, psychological testing for differential diagnosis and capacity evaluations, family caregiving, consultation in institutional settings, and ethical issues. The ideas and approaches to family caregiving that are listed in the book are useful for those who provide care to older adults and their families. The sections in the book on medication and ECT do not seem to me to be as accurate and thorough as other review articles that have appeared in various medical journals. The book was easy to read. The authors made efforts to provide a scholarly approach to their writings by citing some of the important references in the literature. The book seemed free from production errors and reasonably priced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)