Geropsychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Second Edition

The Gap This Book Fills

Caring for older adults with mental health disorders is one of the most demanding and under-resourced areas of nursing. Without specialized knowledge in geropsychiatric and mental health nursing, clinicians risk misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment, and poor patient outcomes that diminish quality of life for an already vulnerable population. This book closes that gap, equipping you with evidence-based frameworks for assessment, diagnosis, and intervention tailored to the aging brain.

About Geropsychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Second Edition – Digital Download

Geropsychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Second Edition by Karen Devereaux Melillo and Susan Crocker Houde is the definitive textbook for nurses specializing in mental health care of older adults. Published by Jones & Bartlett Learning in 2011, this edition builds on foundational knowledge to address the full spectrum of late-life psychopathology from depression and anxiety to dementia and schizophrenia, integrating both biological and psychosocial perspectives.

Rather than a general nursing text that glances at aging, this volume dives deep into the unique physiological changes, polypharmacy issues, and social determinants that shape mental illness in later life. It provides practical assessment tools, evidence-based interventions, and ethical considerations for clinical decision-making in hospitals, long-term care, and community settings.

Who Will Benefit Most

This textbook is designed for registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, and nursing students who encounter older adults in their practice. Key audiences include:

• Graduate nursing students pursuing psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) or clinical nurse specialist (CNS) roles with a gerontology focus
• Generalist RNs in medical-surgical, emergency, or home health settings who need rapid, reliable guidance on mental health screening and management for elderly patients
• Gerontological nurse specialists seeking a comprehensive update on psychopharmacology, behavioral interventions, and ethical issues in later-life care
• Nursing educators designing courses on geropsychiatric nursing who need a structured, evidence-based curriculum
• Interdisciplinary providers such as social workers, occupational therapists, and physicians who collaborate on older adult mental health teams

Inside: What You Will Master

This book delivers actionable knowledge across six critical domains:

• Comprehensive mental health assessment of older adults, including cognitive screening tools, depression scales, and functional status evaluation
• Psychopathology of late life covering major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety, bipolar illness, psychosis, and substance use disorders with age-specific presentation
• Evidence-based nursing interventions for managing agitation, wandering, sundowning, and other behavioral symptoms in dementia
• Psychopharmacology for older adults including dosing adjustments, adverse effects, and drug-drug interactions commonly seen in geriatric practice
• Legal and ethical issues such as capacity assessment, informed consent, guardianship, and end-of-life decision-making
• Care coordination across settings bridging hospital, skilled nursing, assisted living, home care, and outpatient mental health services

How It Compares

Competing titles like “Psychiatric Nursing” or “Gerontological Nursing” typically cover mental health in a single chapter, treating geriatric psychiatry as a footnote rather than a core specialty. This book dedicates its entire structure to the older adult, offering depth that general texts cannot match. Its dual focus on both physical health comorbidities and psychiatric conditions reflects the reality of geriatric care, where diabetes, hypertension, and cognitive decline coexist.

Moreover, the editors bring decades of clinical and academic experience in advanced practice nursing, ensuring recommendations are grounded in real-world feasibility, not ivory-tower theory. The publisher Jones & Bartlett Learning is a recognized authority in nursing education, known for rigorous peer review and alignment with professional standards from the American Nurses Association and the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association.

Who Wrote This Book

Karen Devereaux Melillo, PhD, GNP, ANP-BC, FAANP, FGSA, is a professor of nursing at the University of Massachusetts Lowell where she co-directs the Gerontology Institute. Her research on geriatric mental health screening in primary care has been funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research, and she has served on the board of the National Gerontological Nursing Association. Susan Crocker Houde, PhD, ANP-BC, is an associate professor of nursing at the same institution, with a practice background in geriatric primary care and published work on functional assessment in older adults.

Jones & Bartlett Learning has been a trusted partner in nursing education for over three decades, producing textbooks that meet accreditation standards and are adopted by top nursing programs nationwide. This edition underwent independent expert review to ensure accuracy, currency, and clinical relevance.

Our Verdict

Yes. For any nurse who cares for older adults including those with dementia, chronic mental illness, or late-onset psychiatric disorders this textbook is an essential reference. Its systematic approach to assessment and intervention reduces the guesswork that leads to errors, and its ethical framework prepares clinicians for the difficult conversations that arise in geriatric care. While you can find general psych nursing texts for less, none treat the geriatric population with the same depth of coverage on polypharmacy, functional assessment, and family dynamics. Investing in this edition means you are building a foundation that will serve you across clinical settings for years to come.

Start Reading Geropsychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Second Edition – Digital Download Today

Whether you are a PMHNP student preparing for boards, a hospital nurse preparing for geriatric certification, or an educator designing a course, this book provides the evidence you need to deliver competent, compassionate care. The 2011 edition remains highly relevant for foundational knowledge and complements newer supplements on DSM-5 updates. Order your digital copy now and immediately access the full text on any device. Jones & Bartlett Learning stands behind this resource as a trusted tool for advancing nursing practice with older adults.