ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the current psychological interventions available to elderly citizens to promote their psychological and physical profiles from a mental health perspective. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (C.B.T.) seeks to change thoughts, feelings, and attention by focusing on erroneous perceptions and habitual behaviours which the individual can learn to change. Cognitive-behavioural treatment of panic, anxiety, and agoraphobia in late-life takes into consideration psycho-education, cognitive restructuring, respiratory control, relaxation training, and controlled provocation of anxiety and panic states, among others. Short-term psychodynamic therapy is problem-focused and does not examine transference relationships, owing to its brevity. Life review involves the recall of personal history to master one’s present and future. Problem-solving therapy is focused on change and is narrow and pragmatic in nature. Dementia-caregiver counselling is mainly focused on the caregiver role. Insomnia in older adults is more common, especially among women and those who are widowed, separated, or divorced, and is more troublesome than in younger people.
