Mental Health Ageing

Today, we are living longer lives, and have choices now as never before about how we will age. What will make us happy? What are we frightened of, and what might allay those fears? What changes, made right now, will help us to flourish as we age? This book contains lessons I've learned from thirty years of working with older people and those close to them. It looks at problems that can be fixed with tests and tablets, and problems that require a different sort of medicine.

Recent studies show that our decision-making skills improve as we age, and that our happiness levels peak at age 82. Dr Daniel Levitin draws on cutting-edge research from neuroscience and psychology to demonstrate the cognitive benefits of getting older. He challenges the beliefs that surround the ageing process, including our assumptions around memory loss and our focus on lifespan instead of 'healthspan'.

Can ageing really be a positive experience? Yes. You can make a difference to your own ageing process. Research shows that how we think about ageing can have a significant impact on our health and well-being in later life. The Ten Steps of Positive Ageing challenges and debunks the inaccurate and negative attitudes that may be contaminating your outlook on getting older and provides a clear, practical road map for exerting more choice and control over the ageing process.

The complete primer for nonspecialists on the psychology of ageing. Whether you provide care for older people or are simply interested in ageing, this complete primer on the psychology of ageing explains the key issues clearly and concisely. Beginning with explanations of ageing, life expectancy and demographics, it goes on to discuss the aspects of ageing that have the most impact on people's lives. From changes in intelligence and personality to mental health and sexuality, the author explains the psychology involved and focuses on the points that have most impact on people's lives.

What does it mean to have a healthy, happy brain? Especially in the current climate, where our lifestyles are changing dramatically and our movements are being restricted, getting to know the factors that affect our brain function and the things we can actively do to improve it is crucial. Written in an accessible and engaging way for the nonscientist, this will be a comprehensive and up-to-date look at our current understanding, what a fast-changing field it is and how much we still don't know when it comes to disorders of the brain.

While ageing itself may be inevitable, what if there were a way to measure our biological age? And what if there were strategies to slow down, or even reverse, the ageing process? In True Age, Dr Morgan Levine gives us an insight into the cutting-edge developments in the science of ageing and longevity and teaches us that through understanding our biological age, we can monitor and even control the process of ageing.

In this eloquent meditation on ageing, Marie de Hennezel guides us through a true ‘art of growing old’. She recalls her encounters as a clinical psychologist with extraordinary people who 'grow old gracefully’ – and through her experience shows us how to make the most of this time in our lives, to avoid depression and to stay happy.

Ageing is inevitable. In this time of longer lifespans, however, we have the potential to age better than ever before. Having travelled the globe to meet the pioneers who are redefining ageing, Carl Honoré explores the cultural, medical and technological trends that will help us make the most of our longer lives. He shows us that the time has come to cast off prejudices and blur the lines of what is possible at every age.