Aims

- to introduce the students to the clinical psychology of maturity and senescence: description, understanding, therapeutic and prevention

Main themes

- specific psychopathological displays of these life ages
- psychic consequences of the biological, familial and social evolution
- evolution of the psychic disorders and of the dysfunctions of personality during ageing
- pathology of the links and roles proper to these ages
- situation of these people inside the society and social reaction towards them in a perspective of "quality of life"

Content and teaching methods

1. Perspectives of the clinical approach of the life ages: stereotypes and prejudices. Demographical and social dimension (the most important social group)
2. Maturity (or rather "maturescence" as a process):
- crisis of maturity ("mid-life crisis", psycho-pathological and psychosomatic decompensations of these ages: psychology of the 40's or 50's is not the same than the 20's...)
- evolution of the affective life: couple and sexuality: influence of ageing, menopause, andropause, couple crises, sexual pathologies
- effects of work on psychic health in its positive and negative aspects (stress, burn-out, harassment...)
3. Thresholds or stages, or even rituals of ageing:
- retirement, early retirement: psycho-social effects
- modifications of family life: consequences
- illness, addiction...
4. Senescence and the varying characters of old age:
- descriptive approaches (biological, social, cultural...)

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Lectures, reading portfolio, videos.
Participation of clinicians.

Other credits in programs