Depression in Later Life

Reviews / Votes

Psychologist Serani (Depression and Your Child) is a clinical expert on depression as well as a lifelong sufferer of the illness, and she brings a valuable mixture of experienced empathy and learned knowledge to this look at people over 65 with depression. She spends ample time unpacking the many terms necessary to her discussion, making heavy use of bullet-points and tables. The more technical information is balanced out by the case studies included at the end of each chapter, which illustrate anecdotally the different points in life at which depression can strike. Much of the book deals with navigating the various treatment options available, with an emphasis on individual agency. . . .On the whole . . . the book succeeds at addressing the needs of a rapidly increasing, but too often invisible, population. * Publishers Weekly * Serani (Living with Depression, 2012) knows her topic. She is a licensed psychologist who has lived with depression since she was a young girl. In this 'go-to resource' for seniors with depressive disorder or those who are caring for loved ones afflicted with it, she gives tools to make it easier to feel 'meaning and purpose.' She advocates a personalized approach to help figure out if diseases like dementia and stroke are causing symptoms. Then she looks at both traditional treatments and alternative approaches, including meditation and aromatherapy. It's an important topic: suicide rates are highest for seniors. Serani, who knows the ingredients for a useful guidebook, makes good use of diagrams, a glossary, and checklists. She also knows the power of celebrity, adding an appendix featuring 'high-profile people with mood disorders,' including J. K. Rowling, who struggles with depression, and Jesse Jackson Jr., who is bipolar . . . [O]verall this is a valuable resource that can help improve the quality of life for a highly at-risk group. * Booklist * This well-researched, effectively written, and highly readable guide to late-life depression deserves a wide audience. * Foreword Reviews * [Depression in Later Life: An Essential Guide is an] excellent, eye-opening book. * Psych Central * This book will be of invaluable help to those suffering from depression and also those who care for the depressed -- particularly those sufferers of advancing years with their unique and special needs. Dr. Deborah Serani has made a superb contribution to the management of this awful ailment. -- Dick Cavett, Writer and Television Host