The Geriatric Psychiatry Section of the World Psychiatric Association held its 1990 Symposium in Melbourne, Australia, with the theme of ‘Functional Psychiatric Disorders in the Elderly’. Having regard to the constant exposure of dementia in recent conferences all over the world, it was noted that the functional psychiatric disorders had received far less attention. As any practising clinician in geriatric psychiatry can readily attest to the number of patients whose functional psychiatric disorder requires attention, such a situation of neglect requires some redress.

Cambridge University Press, through the perspicacity and energy of Dr Richard Barling noted this conference theme and requested E. C. to make a proposal for the publication of a multi-authored volume on this subject. D. A. agreed to be a coeditor to accomplish the task. Some individual chapter authors were recruited on the basis of papers presented at the Melbourne Symposium, while others who had been unable to attend that meeting were invited to contribute because of their acknowledged expertise in particular areas which the editors considered pertinent to the theme of this text.

The editors are very grateful to the chapter authors, who took to the task given to them with goodwill and enthusiasm.

In the process of planning this book the term ‘functional’ exercised our minds as, in the context of geriatric psychiatry, such terms give rise to considerable debate.