Depression in Later Life

April 18, 2016
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. As empowering as this focus is, Serani could have given more consideration to patients’ economic concerns. In this vein, her later forays into particularly severe cases raise the question of how easily impoverished people could access and benefit from her advice. On the whole, though, the book succeeds at addressing the needs of a rapidly increasing, but too often invisible, population.

June 1, 2016
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. Though the author uses a lot of technical jargon, overall this is a valuable resource that can help improve the quality of life for a highly at-risk group.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)