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This book is divided into three sections. In the first one, written by the authors, they take further the themes of their first book (Adult Development: New Dimensions in Psychodynamic Theory and Practice) and provide new concepts with which to approach adult development—which is seen as an entity in itself. The second section consists of five clinical presentations of cases in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis by different contributors, followed by a discussion by the authors in which various aspects of their theory are highlighted. The third section consists of six orginal papers from various contributors describing specific clinical issues in the treatment of older patients.
In their previous book, the authors lay down the foundations for a psychoanalytic view of adult development applicable to patients between the ages of 40 and 80, with its own formulations and hypothesis. These seven basic hypotheses are: (1) a reaffirmation that the developmental process is basically the same for adults and children and therefore that the adult individual is as dependent as the child on its environment; (2) that development in the adult years is an ongoing dynamic process; (3) that it is concerned with the continuing evolution of the existing psychic structure and with its use, whereas the child's is primarily concerned with its formation; (4) deals with the relationship between childhood and adulthood as posing a continuous vital interaction, the fundamental issues of childhood continuing in an altered form as central aspects of adult life: that attempts to explain all adult behaviour and psychopathology in terms of childhood events is reductionistic; (5) that developmental processes in adults are influenced by the adult past as well as childhood; (6) the effects of the physical processes and their psychological expression after adolescence and the body and physical changes in adult development; and (7) the importance of the growing awareness of finiteness of time and d