ABSTRACT
The themes of a number of chapters in this book, particularly by Sperry, Gutmann, McAdams, Cadmus, McNeil and Sperry, Sperry and Wolfe, Heidrich and Ryff, and Thomas, offer many thoughts about the present state of gerontology as well as implications and predictions for the future. Some have stated that old age can be a major period of development, and the people have attempted to bring into the concept of developmental aging the realization of wisdom and its use to benefit all of society. Articles in this volume by Pollock, Yesavage, Cox, Hay, Sperry, and Prosen also show that geropsychiatry will emphasize more mobilization both of the body and of the mind. To play the devil’s advocate for a moment, the author would suggest that perhaps geropsychiatry should be disbanded as a specialty, as should gerontology. The training implications are profound.
