The demographic shift to a much older population is having a large impact on social work professionals who have traditionally been the primary caretakers of the elderly. As more people are living into advanced old age, it is becoming increasingly important to understand and treat the wide range of psychological disorders which may affect them, rather than simply attributing the disorders to senescence as was frequently done in the past. Mental Health and the Elderly: A Social Work Perspective is a comprehensive guide to diagnosis and treatment of the range of disorders affecting the elderly.

Francis J. Turner is the author of Mental Health and the Elderly, a Free Press book.