Pachana / Molinari / Thompson Psychological Assessment and Treatment of Older Adults

2021
ISBN: 978-1-61334-571-9
Verlag: Hogrefe Publishing
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 264 Seiten

Learn about the key issues when assessing and treating older adults with mental health problems:

Expert guidance through the key topics
Highlights the best assessment and treatment practices
Addresses diversity, ethical, and health system issues
Full of real-life case examples
Resources in the appendix to test your knowledge

More about the book
Mental health practitioners are encountering an ever-growing number of older adults and so an up-to-date and comprehensive text addressing the special considerations that arise in the psychological assessment and treatment of this population is vital. This accessible handbook does just that by introducing the key topics that psychologists and other health professionals face when working with older adults. Each area is introduced and then the special considerations for older adults are explored, including specific ethical and healthcare system issues. The use of case examples brings the topics further to life.
An important feature of the book is the interweaving of diversity issues (culture, race, sexuality, etc.) within the text to lend an inclusive, contemporary insight into these important practice components. The Pikes Peak Geropsychology Knowledge and Skill Assessment Tool is included in an appendix so readers can test their knowledge, which will be helpful for those aiming for board certification in geropsychology (ABGERO).
This an ideal text for mental health professionals transitioning to work with older clients, for those wanting to improve their knowledge for their regular practice, and for trainees or young clinicians just starting out.

Zielgruppe

Clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, counselors, as well as students.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Pachana, Nancy A.

Molinari, Victor

Thompson, Larry W.

Gallagher-Thompson, Dolores

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Psychologie Allgemeine Psychologie Entwicklungspsychologie Gerontopsychologie
• Medizin | Veterinärmedizin Medizin | Public Health | Pharmazie | Zahnmedizin Medizinische Fachgebiete Psychiatrie, Sozialpsychiatrie, Suchttherapie
• Medizin | Veterinärmedizin Medizin | Public Health | Pharmazie | Zahnmedizin Klinische und Innere Medizin Geriatrie, Gerontologie
• Sozialwissenschaften Psychologie Psychotherapie / Klinische Psychologie

Leseproben

|ix|Preface
In this work, we have assembled experts in the field of clinical geropsychology to provide key theoretical constructs across a range of interventions and disorders. The chapters offer key readings on the topics covered, and copious case examples are offered. The text assumes a basic literacy with respect to psychological diagnosis, assessment, and intervention paradigms. Each chapter also addresses the cultural implications of the topic at hand, and how such considerations translate into practice. Chapter 2 tackles the important subject of clinical assessment of older adults, including the clinical interview and a variety of common validated assessment tools for use with frequently presented syndromes such as depression and cognitive syndromes. The chapter emphasizes careful consideration of the unique circumstances and context of the older person, as variables such as having English as a second language, an earlier history of head trauma, or a recent loss may all affect the way a person presents and reacts to testing. It is easy to say this in a textbook; much harder to ferret out useful background information from a client who lacks any relatives or friends, or whose medical chart is complex and contradictory. But the effort to understand the person as fully as possible leads to the most useful and complete clinical picture. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the most common and widely researched intervention in older populations, is discussed regarding its application to depression, again one of the most common presentations of older adults to mental health services, in Chapter 3. Conceptualizing depression in older adults and working through the therapeutic process are reviewed. Chapter 3 also discusses how positive psychology principles and strategies of change can be integrated into existing CBT interventions with older adults. Chapter 4 brings together Case-Based Approaches With Older Adults: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy with older adults. For each type of intervention, its condensed background theory and basic principles of its application are given, and illustrated with an expanded case example. Modifications of approaches with older adults are highlighted. Anxiety symptoms and disorders, although highly prevalent among older populations, are often not given as much attention across clinical settings. In Chapter 5, diagnosis, assessment, and treatment approaches for anxiety disorders are described. Key issues to keep in mind to avoid diagnostic and assessment misdirections are given. Posttraumatic stress disorder is also discussed in this chapter, with a detailed case discussion presented. Working with older persons living with dementia and those who care for them is the topic of Chapter 6. A brief overview of dementia is followed by recommendations. Finally, lifestyle interventions to reduce the likelihood of dementia are discussed. The last are an |x|important growth area in research as well as in practical applications when working with older persons. Long-term care (LTC) settings are one of the richest and most fulfilling environments for psychologists to work in. Why is this? LTC interventions (and often assessments) must take a systems perspective, and often a systems approach to implementation, if they are to be successful. While demanding, such an approach can also yield gains across the entire facility. Chapter 7 covers theoretical models of care, as well as practical intervention strategies, in LTC settings. Especially for early career psychologists, determining decisional capacity in older adults can be daunting. Chapter 8 discussed key issues in determining capacity, including issues of culture and family dynamics. Ethical and legal considerations are detailed, and the process of undertaking capacity assessments is laid out in detail, with a complex medicolegal case example presented to highlight key issues in practice. Chapter 9 addresses the underresearched but incredibly clinically important topic of elder abuse, with particular emphasis on identifying and acting on risk. Culturally specific conceptualizations of abuse are offered. Strategies for screening for elder abuse are described, and issues arising in the reporting of abuse are detailed. Psychological interventions developed for use in palliative care contexts are described in Chapter 10. Palliative care practice guidelines are discussed; the interventions are informed by developmental theory. Advance care planning and common issues arising in the last phase of life are also covered here. The psychological sequelae of grief and loss, as well as death and dying, are covered in Chapter 11. A variety of interventions are described, including the use of acceptance and commitment therapy and mindfulness interventions in palliative care contexts. Factors affecting bereavement in care partners, and appropriate interventions in these circumstances, are also discussed. The case examples in Chapters 10 and 11 are linked to illustrate end-of-life complexities. Understanding the context and application of assessment and intervention strategies with older persons is useful both for established practitioners encountering increasing numbers of older adults in their practice and for young professionals entering a field where the likelihood of seeing older adults professionally is ever-increasing. For practitioners who have not seen a large number of older clients, irrespective of their maturity within general professional practice, treating older clients can be daunting. Medical illnesses, unfamiliar medications and their side effects, and complex sociodemographic histories can seem bewildering. We have pitched the text to make sense of these complexities and contextualize them without diminishing the importance of a thorough understanding of older persons themselves. The importance of understanding specific ethical and systemic issues in working with older persons is highlighted across chapters. Case examples or vignettes are given in each chapter to bring the work to life. Please note that significant details about all cases described in this work have been changed to maintain confidentiality and privacy. Recommended readings are provided at the end of each chapter. Where to go for further information on working with older adults? A great place to start is the Council of Professional Geropsychology Training Programs (CoPGTP) [https://copgtp.org/] and GeroCentral [https://gerocentral.org/], both excellent online |xi|resources. The top professional organizations such as the Society of Clinical Geropsychology (APA Division 12/ii), Psychologists in Long-Term Care (PLTC), the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA), and the Gerontological Society of America are well worth exploring for the value of their networking and informational resources; all are easily findable online. If this volume inspires interest in readers who may desire to gain advanced expertise in clinical geropsychology, the authors hope that they will consider becoming certified as specialists. The American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) is the major credentialing organization in the US that certifies specialists, and since 2014 there has been a specialty board in geropsychology (American Board of Geropsychology; ABGERO). Certification requires not only specialized education and supervised training, but also demonstration of competence in assessment, intervention, and consultation with older adults, by oral examination. Such a process allows the public and other health care professionals to identify those who have been designated to be competent in professional geropsychology. For more information, please go to the ABGERO website (https://abgero.org/). Nancy A. Pachana Victor Molinari ...