The first edition of the Handbook of the Clinical Psychology of Ageing was published in 1996. This volume represents impressive change during the last decade in response to the new demands and opportunities faced by psychologists when the world population continues to age, and brings along its unique psychological challenges and mental health needs. This second edition of the Handbook has 34 chapters grouped into five topic areas: ageing, psychological problems; service context; assessment; and intervention. The first section on ageing covers the key aspects of the normal ageing processes and provides the necessary context for the understanding of the common psychological problems outlined in the next section. The clinical features of depression, anxiety, late-onset psychosis, trauma, dementia and stroke in older people are all outlined succinctly, with updated and relevant references that will enable clinicians to further their interest in specific topics. The detailed discussion of the important aspects of the service context for clinical psychology in later life includes palliative care for people with dementia and the situation of people with intellectual disabilities – new chapters absent from the first edition. The next section addresses the assessment aspects of clinical practice. It covers the assessment of cognitive functioning, mood, behaviour and quality of life; with numerous useful signposts regarding assessment tools specifically designed for older people. Finally, the nine chapters under intervention include cognitive behavioural therapy, psychoanalysis, systematic intervention, neuropsychological rehabilitation, working with dementia issues, and interventions at the care-team level. They evince the upsurge over the last two decades of systematic and practical research on a wide range of clinical interventions for mental health problems among older people.

The difference between the first and the second edition of the Handbook is vast. Only one chapter, ‘Family caregiving: research and clinical intervention’, retains its original title and author. A few chapters, such as those on ‘Capacity and consent’ and ‘Primary care psychology and older people’ are on topics that were featured barely or not at all in the previous edition. Others, such as ‘Psychological trauma in late life’ and ‘Parkinson's disease’ rightly appear for the first time as stand-alone chapters. Most other chapters have been substantially updated to reflect advances in the clinical psychology of ageing, e.g. in psychological interventions with people with dementia. All chapters emphasise development and research, with varying degrees of application to clinical practice. The overlap between the chapters is minimal. I had two slight disappointments, the first being that the chapter on ‘Sexual functioning in later life’ has been dropped. A discussion of this often taboo, yet relevant, subject has not been subsumed in other chapters. I also wonder if a concise chapter on the use and misuse of medication, commonly deployed in the psychiatric treatment of older people, might have been included. Most psychologists work in multidisciplinary teams and a firm knowledge base in this area might promote partnership working between psychologists and other health professionals.

This extremely comprehensive Handbook is an excellent reference guide to work with older people. It communicates motivation and inspiration in working with a client group that is still inevitably a ‘silent minority’ in society. This book is targeted primarily at clinical psychologists working with older adults. Other qualified health professionals, including psychiatrists and nurses, and psychologists in clinical training, will find this book valuable as a resource for practice, and in teaching, research and professional development. While one of the editors provided an introduction, some concluding remarks on prospects for the development of the clinical psychology of ageing would perhaps have been useful. Some speculations on how positive psychology can be applied to foster the development of successful ageing might shed some light on the future, and would have concluded the Handbook just as it begins – by adopting a fundamentally positive approach to ageing processes.