Psychology & Psychiatry : Mental Health

For the increasing number of people diagnosed with dementia each year, treatment in the early stages can make a significant difference to their quality of life. This book provides examples of psychosocial interventions: taking into consideration the individual, social and environmental aspects of the person's life. It looks at ways of providing support at the time of diagnosis and goes on to explore a variety of interventions and services for the treatment of early dementia. Bringing together the knowledge and experiences of professionals from both the UK and Europe, the contributors describe interventions for both psychological and practical problems with case examples such as memory support groups, art therapies and assistive technologies for use in the home. This accessible book will be essential reading for practitioners and carers working with those with early dementia and will be extremely useful in both professional development and for those new to dementia care. more...

Price: $39.95

Written by an internationally renowed authority in geriatric psychiatry, this text discusses the most common emotional problems affecting the elderly: memory loss, depression, anxiety, sleeping problems, alcohol and drug abuse, and others. Each problem is addressed in a consistent format highlighting:.: the nature and scope of the problem.; the etiological factors involved.; a diagnostic workup.; treatment strategies. The focus is on providing the health practitioner with information and specific strategies to diagnose the nature of the problem and to resolve the difficulties, as the situation dictates. This updated edition includes new information on managed care for older adults--clearly illustrating for the professional how mental health care is financed. The author's pragmatic, problem-oriented approach and his illustrative case vignettes make the book an invaluable reference for all who work with this challenging, underserved, and rapidly growing population. more...

Price: $55.00

There are always difficult day to day decisions to be faced when caring for a person with dementia – from knowing how to deal with wandering to end of life decisions. Many of these decisions are underpinned by value judgments about right and wrong and reflect a particular view of dementia. This book considers these ethical decisions in the context of relationships, treatment, safety and quality of life, offering practical guidance and advice. It draws on the experiences of family carers as well as on existing research and emphasizes the importance of empathy and the need to acknowledge different perspectives in order to reach the best decision for the person with dementia. In particular the authors discuss the way that decision makers are themselves changed by the decisions they make, and the impact of this on the decision-making process. This book should be read by all those who work caring for people with dementia. more...

Price: $29.95

Crises do not occur in cultural vacuums, but help often does. Lack of cultural understanding, sensitivity, and competencies can hamper and even harm professional response to disasters. To help and heal, one must know and understand the cultural background of disaster victims. This text offers readers knowledge in these areas of disaster response. more...

Price: $69.95

Based on the findings of in-depth research and on the author's long-standing experience of working with people with dementia, this ground-breaking book provides fresh perspectives and ideas for policy and practice. In the first part of this extensively referenced and up-to-date book, Michael Bender examines the scientific status of the terms 'dementia', 'Alzheimer's' and 'multi-infarct dementias' and concludes that there is little convincing scientific evidence to justify their continued use. He suggests that in order to develop adequate psychological and social models of dementia, a number of perspectives, such as the intrapsychic, the interpersonal and the contextual, need to be developed. Drawing on contemporary theoretical concepts including multiple selves, personal construct theory, intrapsychic survival and the effect of historical and political factors on older people's well being, the author calls for a more positive and constructive approach to improving the lives of people with dementia. He emphasises the importance of the individual's social context; the problems they are facing and their reactions to those problems; their life history and interpersonal relationships and discusses the process of assessment, finally developing techniques that allow the person with dementia to describe their experience, helping to ameliorate cognitive losses. Taking an honest look at what we really know about dementia and how we can learn more, this innovative book will make essential reading for medical and mental health practitioners, researchers and students working in the field. more...

Price: $39.95