The interpersonal environment in which older adults are embedded strongly influences their health and well-being. A state of social isolation can be defined as the absence of a meaningful interpersonal environment. This chapter presents some important theoretical and methodological distinctions. It looks at the association between several key aspects of the interpersonal realm, on the one hand, and selected positive and negative well-being outcomes, on the other. It examines the contribution of the construct of network type, a composite measure of social relations, to the study and the understanding of the interpersonal domain of older people, and its role in well-being. Following this, it considers another indicator of social relations—this time, a scale of social connectedness—and how this measure disentangles the effects of social relations and social activity on well-being. Finally, the chapter presents findings on the implications of changes that occur in the interpersonal environment on the mental health.

Mental health is a multifaceted concept and difficult to define. Clinicians and researchers refer to DSM guidelines or state how a condition deviates from them. Critics of the guidelines may argue that the number of clinical characteristics that identify a mental illness, and the time parameters that are employed for having these characteristics, are arbitrary. But flawed though they may be, there is no consensus on guidelines that could even be criticized, much less adopted, for the components of mental health. Thus, this chapter attempts to correct this imbalance and reflects a combination of the two perspectives: mental health and mental illness. As is true of most of the literature, the author has organized chapter subheadings largely around mental illness terms and also attempted to focus as much overall attention on mental health content as on mental illness. In addition to examining a topic like depression, the chapter explores life reviews, and in addition to examining Alzheimer’s disease, it explores cognitive stimulation.

There are positive and negative aspects of life at every age throughout the life span, and aging is no exception. This chapter presents a more balanced view of older adults’ mental health and cognitive abilities, one that moves away from the stereotypes. It focuses on mental health and cognitive abilities as people age, with a presentation of the many positive characteristics of older adults’ psychological and emotional well-being as well as difficulties some may face, such as depression and dementia. The chapter also describes how personality changes over the life span and how the creative arts can positively impact the lives of older adults. Finally, it discusses factors that can positively and negatively affect older adults’ mental and cognitive abilities. The Practical Application presented at the end of the chapter focuses on unique challenges faced by individuals currently around 80 and above due to mental health stereotypes and stigmas.