Mental Health and the Elderly Population

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the relationship between the elderly population and the society of which it is part, and how this has changed and developed across the globe over recent decades. The chapter begins by considering the statistics that convey how ageing is beginning to alter the structure of populations, and how there is now a significant difference according to different parts of the world. A broader discussion around ageism, discrimination and stigma then contextualizes the study according to the role of the elderly in particular societies and how this is influenced by issues such conventional approaches to retirement and a need to re-think what it means to be elderly. The chapter then goes on to address current concerns of dementia, gender and end of life issues. One of the authors, Thomas Moncur, goes on to provide a reflective piece on working with the age group clinically, including two clinically-related case studies exploring the impact of the ageing process on specific individuals.