Psychosocial Approaches to Health and Wellbeing in Adulthood

“This book is a creative and comprehensive contribution to understanding past and present psychosocial approaches to health and wellbeing from adulthood to older age. Both the empirical and theoretical basis to these approaches is covered. The scholarly content and writing style are of an impressive standard. It is well organised with helpful ‘introductions’ and ‘summaries’ in each chapter. There are also reader-participatory exercises throughout, some of which ask the reader to ‘Stop and Think’, an admirable aspiration for any academic text.”
—Dr Peter Morrall, author of Social Crises and Mental Health (2024)

This textbook provides an up-to-date guide to theories within psychology and sociology relevant to understanding the major life transitions within adulthood and older age and demonstrates how they can be applied in practice. In doing so, it offers a psychosocial approach that will equip readers to meet the combined physical, psychological and social needs of those in their care.

In this book the impact of biological factors on adult experience is acknowledged alongside a careful exploration of the socially constructed nature of different stages of adulthood across the lifespan. In its analysis of developmental stages, the book covers key issues of current concern including emerging and early adulthood, ‘the sandwich generation’ (those caring for both their children and their parents), later life, medicalisation, neurodiversity, long term and degenerative conditions, bereavement, and grief. Both vulnerabilities and ways to enhance resilience encouraging healthy ageing are examined.

Utilising practice-oriented case studies and reflective questions it illustrates how psychosocial perspectives may be applied within family, workplace, health, and social care contexts. It offers under graduate and graduate students of social work, nursing, mental health, education, psychology, human development, gerontology and ageing, the tools needed to evaluate the interlocking psychosocial factors influencing the lives of adults at different stages of life.

Jennifer M. Waite-Jones, PhD, MSC, PGCE, BA (Hons), is Visiting Lecturer in Health and Developmental Psychology, at the School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, UK, where she specialises in child, adolescent and adult health and development.

Alison M. Rodriguez, PhD, MSc, PCPD, BSc (Hons), is Associate Professor in Child and Family Health, at the University of Leeds, UK. She is a psychologist with extensive teaching, research, supervision and examining experience of undergraduate and post-graduate students.