Staring Night: Queen Victoria’s Lafe-Life Depression by Robert Abrams

“Another book in the library of Queen Victoria’s biographies? It would seem that this monarch’s life had been thoroughly investigated by the usual methods of historical research. Enter Dr. Robert Abrams, noted geriatric psychiatrist, who meticulously re-examines the surviving documents of Queen Victoria’s final years, and with a keen clinical eye perceives and makes the case for a latelife depression that dictated her final decline. Not only does he add to an understanding of this important figure’s life, but he makes the case for an often-overlooked diagnosis in the elderly that affects the royal and the worker alike. The author’s sentences are crafted with care, a powerful prose that carries the reader into the suffering of Victoria’s final years—and yes, a needed and fresh addition to her story.”
—OWEN LEWIS, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Faculty, Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics, Vagelos College of Medicine, Columbia University

“This book is a fascinating read for historians, psychiatrists, physicians, medical humanities experts and educationalists. It skillfully combines a compelling narrative of Queen Victoria’s depressive illness with a deep understanding of its possible pathophysiological mechanisms. Professor Abrams acts as a modern day sleuth,’ dissecting the historical and private background of Queen Victoria’s life, and in doing so, he differentiates ‘late life depression’ from ‘prolonged complex bereavement disorders’ and ‘complicated grief.’ Analysing the impact of bereavement, trauma, family dynamics, and doctor-patient relationships, Staring Night provides original insight into the complex interplay between ‘growing old’ and ‘mental well-being.’ ”
—DR. KHALID ALI, Senior Lecturer in Geriatrics, Brighton and Sussex Medical School; Ageing Research Lead, Kent, Surrey and Sussex Clinical Research Network (UK); Film and Media Correspondent, Medical Humanities Journal.