This volume investigates the efficacy and safety of pharmacological interventions for psychiatric conditions in geriatric populations. Edited by David Wheatley, the text compiles findings from a 1981 symposium organized by the British Association for Psychopharmacology. It presents clinical data and expert analysis regarding the physiological challenges of prescribing psychoactive medications to elderly patients.

Experts identify this text as a historical record of early clinical approaches to geriatric psychopharmacology. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and its value as a primary source for understanding the evolution of psychiatric treatment protocols in older adults.