Psychiatry of Old Age

This subject is a core subject in Year 3 of the Masters of Psychiatry program. Ten weeks focus directly on the clinical and research aspects of Old Age Psychiatry – psychiatric disorders as they present in the older age group (>65 years). The teaching will promote development of a clinical style that delivers care to this population in a positive, compassionate and patient-centred manner and with an awareness of their needs. The old age component of the unit will address the interaction of ageing and mental health, epidemiological and demographical aspects of ageing in Australia and worldwide, the social construction of ageing, individual experiences of ageing, ageing and mental health of indigenous Australians, physical and psychological consequences of ageing, families and ageing, sexuality and ageing, death and dying, common cognitive and functional disorders in the elderly, physical health, pharmacology and ageing and service provision to the elderly with a mental illness. An additional 2 weeks within this subject will be more practical sessions; in which themes of the Capstone Special Topics in Psychiatry Subject will be introduced. In these sessions, students will build upon their concepts of the vocational aspects of psychiatry as they move towards advanced training.