Old age psychiatry has experienced a change in its culture. With the ageing population predicted to rise exponentially in the coming years, we constantly strive to be ready for the dementia ‘time bomb’ and to find adequate resources for those already in the midst of the illness. To a clinician, it can at times feel as if functional illness in older age is being forgotten. This guide, edited and produced by the Australian Black Dog Institute, is a self-purported ‘timely’ book which aims to raise the awareness of depression in older age. It promises to challenge the common misperception that, by necessity, ageing brings with it the ‘black dog of depression’.

The book is an easy-to-digest mixture of evidence-based science and personal narrative. The range of subjects explored within is vast. The authors move deftly and coherently between topics, varying from how to diagnose depression to how to age well. A humorous quotation begins each chapter and serves to promote positivity. After establishing the topic in easy-to-understand science, the focus turns to personal reflections of depression. Each chapter concludes with a ‘noteworthy’ section, providing the reader with a few practical points about coping with and managing depression in later life.

The sheer range of topics means that some are explored superficially, making this a book to recommend to junior colleagues looking for an introduction to the subject, carers or patients (although perhaps those who are not acutely unwell) rather than senior psychiatrists wanting to expand their knowledge base. That said, the personal reflections which account for the majority of the text are the great strength of this book. Collected from essays submitted to the Black Dog Institute and contributions invited from eminent professionals, each one of these wonderfully written pieces conveys something different about what it means to have been ‘bitten by the black dog’. Although often saddening to read, they easily connect the reader to the experience of depression in older age and instil a sense of something valuable and inspirational about having lived with that experience. For this, the book is an important addition to our resources and a reminder that we should expect good mental health with ageing. The accounts are written articulately, purposefully and emotionally and offer perspectives from patients, relatives, carers and professionals, making this an insightful and accessible book for all.