Mental Health in Later Life: Taking a Life Course Approach (Ageing and the Lifecourse series)

Focusing on mental health rather than mental illness, this book adopts a life course approach to understanding mental health and wellbeing in later life. Drawing together material from the fields of sociology, psychology, critical social gerontology, the mental health field, and life course studies, it analyses the meaning and determinants of mental health amongst older populations and offers a critical review of existing discourse. The book explores the intersecting influences of lifecourse experiences, social and structural inequalities, socio-political context, history, gender and age-related factors and demands an approach to prevention and resolution that appreciates the embedded, complex and multi-faceted nature of threats to mental health and ways to protect it. It foregrounds engagement with the perspectives and lived experiences of older people, including people living with dementia, and makes the case for a paradigmatic shift in conceptualising, exploring and researching mental health issues and supporting older people with mental health problems. The book is essential reading for policy makers, health and social care professionals and students, third sector agencies, researchers and all of those concerned to more effectively and collaboratively address mental health issues in later life.

Focusing on mental health rather than mental illness, this book adopts a lifecourse approach to understanding mental health and wellbeing in later life. Well-respected author and scholar Alisoun Milne explores the influences of lifecourse experiences, structural inequalities, socio-political context, history, gender and age related factors and engages with new ways of thinking about preventing mental ill health and promoting mental health in later life. Drawing together material from a number of different fields, the book analyses the meaning and determinants of mental health among older populations and offers a critical review of the lifecourse, ageing and mental health discourse for students, professionals, policy makers and researchers.

Front cover Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of figures and boxes Acknowledgements Foreword Introduction 1. Demography, topography and mental health problems in later life 2. Mental health, psychological well-being, successful ageing and quality of life 3. The life course, inequalities and mental health in later life 4. The impact of age-related risks and inequalities on mental health in later life 5. Socio-economic disadvantage and poverty 6. Abuse, mistreatment and neglect 7. The fourth age, frailty and transitions 8. The mental health and well-being of people living with dementia 9. Conceptualising dementia 10. Promotion and prevention Conclusion Notes References Index Back cover Blank Page Drawing together material from a number of different fields the book analyses the meaning and determinants of mental health amongst older populations and offers a critical review of the lifecourse, ageing and mental health debate.