The terms interactive and dynamic would never have been associated with psychological and psychoeducational assessment a generation ago. They have currency now because of widespread dissatisfaction with the normative, standardized testing model, criticism of theoretical concepts of intelligence, recognition of abuses of standardized intelligence testing, and frustration with prediction and classification as primary goals of assessment. It is almost certainly true that public policy concerns propel scientific activity far more often than science propels public policy In the case of psychological assessment, public policy concerns have arisen in the last 20 years primarily around issues of possible "discrimination" against members of ethnic minorities. At the same time, there has been a re surgence of dedication to "excellence in education" goals. These concerns have led to such extreme measures as prohibition of the use of standard ized intelligence tests to determine school placement decisions, especially for minority children. They have led also to a search for alternatives to standardized, normative testing. The chapters in this volume represent a variety of answers to this need."

Toward the end of the twentieth century, the solution to mental illness seemed to be found. It lay in biological solutions, focusing on mental illness as a problem of the brain, to be managed or improved through drugs. We entered the "Prozac Age" and believed we had moved far beyond the time of frontal lobotomies to an age of good and successful mental healthcare. Biological psychiatry had triumphed.

Except maybe it hadn't. Starting with surprising evidence from the World Health Organization that suggests that people recover better from mental illness in a developing country than in the first world, Doctoring the Mind asks the question: how good are our mental healthcare services, really? Richard P. Bentall picks apart the science that underlies our current psychiatric practice. He puts the patient back at the heart of treatment for mental illness, making the case that a good relationship between patients and their doctors is the most important indicator of whether someone will recover.

Arguing passionately for a future of mental health treatment that focuses as much on patients as individuals as on the brain itself, this is a book set to redefine our understanding of the treatment of madness in the twenty-first century.

NOW A NETFLIX FILM STARRING EDDIE REDMAYNE AND JESSICA CHASTAIN 'A stunning book... should and does bring to mind In Cold Blood' New York Times After his arrest in 2003, registered nurse Charlie Cullen was quickly dubbed 'The Angel of Death' by the media. But Cullen was no mercy killer, nor was he a simple monster. He was a favourite son, husband, beloved father, best friend and celebrated caregiver. Implicated in the deaths of as many as 300 patients, he was also perhaps the most prolific serial killer in American history. Cullen's murderous career in the world's most trusted profession spanned sixteen years and nine hospitals. Chronicling Cullen's deadly career and the breathless efforts to stop him, The Good Nurse paints an incredibly vivid portrait of madness and offers an urgent, terrifying tale of murder, friendship and betrayal.

This volume contains current evidence-based diagnosis and therapeutic interventions for people with mental disorders. Students and professionals alike will find the mental health field addressed as a whole in a coherent and understandable way. Readers are offered a unified presentation of psychological and sociological approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

Interest in techniques to control the brain and thereby improve its function has surged, yet how realistic are these expectations and what are the ethical implications? This book reviews the main techniques of controlling brain processes for medical purposes, situating them within ethical and legal debates on autonomy and fairness.

What is schizophrenia? Is it a nervous breakdown or a neurochemical malfunction? Why does it develop mostly in late adolescence?

In this groundbreaking and innovative book, Chris Harrop and Peter Trower outline a whole new way of understanding schizophrenia. Controversially, they argue that symptoms seen as psychosis can be linked to the typical psychological development of adolescence and, in particular, to problems constructing an independent, adult self.

This unique psychological account of schizophrenia, written in accessible language, offers insights and practical therapeutic techniques that will be of value to young people with this problem, their families and anyone working with adolescents.

For therapists and all those working in mental health services, particularly those interested in early intervention, this book is essential reading.

‘… a valuable contribution to what remains one of the most problematical issues for health providers, receivers and researchers.’ Dr Paul Patterson

‘… what Peter and Chris have to say is controversial, but I suspect this work will be regarded in time to come as "trail-blazing".’ Professor Max Birchwood

This book discusses the dangers of too much technology use, explores the benefits of digital detoxing, and outlines the different programs and approaches available to help you unplug. It's an invaluable resource for readers looking to establish a healthier relationship with the digital world. Health professionals and the general public are becoming increasingly aware that addiction to the internet, social media, online games, and other forms of technology has become a real problem with significant negative impacts on physical, psychological, and social health. To combat this issue, some are now undertaking a "digital detox," and many options have emerged to help individuals unplug, whether for a weekend or for longer-term change. Digital Detox: Why Taking a Break from Technology Can Improve Your Well-Being explores both the dark side of technology's ever-present existence in today's world and what individuals can do to find better balance in their digital lives. Part I explores addiction to the internet and other novel technologies. What effect does overindulgence in social media, gaming, online shopping, or even "doomscrolling" through internet news sites have on our self-esteem, relationships with others, and happiness? This section also explores how researchers study and quantify technology addiction. Part II focuses on the digital detox countermovement, examining how various programs, support groups, retreats, and even technology itself can help individuals conquer their digital addictions. Provides readers with a solid understanding of the causes and symptoms of various forms of internet addiction Explores a range of strategies that can help readers develop a personal digital detox regimen Examines the latest study findings from experts in mental health, business, and information technology on which digital detox strategies work well in both the short term and long term for different segments of the population Includes resources to help readers delve further into digital detox topics of particular interest

Based on sophisticated clinical descriptions and characteristic symptom patters occurring during the long-term course of psychiatric diseases, Leonhards classification requires that all the clinical features fit for a diagnosis to be made. Always using his own life-long case studies, Leonhard divided the endogenous psychoses into five main nosological groups: on the one hand, the prognostically favourable unipolar affective psychoses, bipolar affective psychoses and cycloid psychoses, and, on the other hand, the prognostically unfavourable unsystematic and systematic schizophrenia. In the meantime, the reliability and validity of this classification have been confirmed by scientific studies and early results provide guidelines for the different origins and varied therapeutic approaches for the specific disease profiles.

This bibliography provides information on the role of biological, psychological, and environmental explanations of deviant behavior in the development of crime and violence and in the control, treatment, and rehabilitation of offenders. It contains more than 2,200 references to materials on biological, psychological, and environmental influences on child development; biological, physiological, and medical factors associated with brain functions and central nervous system disorders; and biological, psychological, and sociological factors related to mental disorder and crime. An appendix lists hierarchically the subject headings used to classify the bibliographic entries. The index, which contains over four hundred subject headings on a wide range of topics, links the subject headings in the hierarchical listing to entries in the bibliography proper.

It is often said that men are 'in crisis, ' blighted by the adverse effects of corrosive masculinity norms ranging from emotional disconnection to aggression. Consequently, with men in considerable 'trouble' relative to their female counterparts - from higher levels of suicide, alcoholism and violence to poorer health and educational outcomes - the question of how to help men 'change' is pressing. This book offers one possible solution. It shows how a group of men learned to overcome their masculine inheritance by taking up meditation. Tim Lomas follows their difficult but ultimately rewarding life journeys as they sought and found an elusive sense of wellbeing. The book interweaves these personal narratives with the very latest research and theory at the intersection of gender and mental health, together with practical recommendations for those working with men (and indeed for men themselves)

A moment comes for every addict when the consequences are so great or the pain is so bad that the addict's life becomes out of control because of his or her behavior. Some are news making moments, such as the public censure when a congressman, minister, general, or professional athlete is cited for unacceptable sexual behavior. For most people those moments are followed by resolves to "never do it again," but somehow after the promise is made, they often find themselves in the exact same location doing something they vowed to never do again. That is addiction.
And for some, this addiction is more difficult to diagnose than in others. Such is the case for gay men. For some gay men fully committed to open sexual choices and experiences, modifying their sexual behavior and restricting their sexual freedoms is like going back in time and surrendering to homophobic attitudes often found in conservative culture. It just doesn't feel right. After all, the urban gay male culture surrounding him fully supports his sexual exploits as long as the sex is safe. And since gay male sex addicts may not discuss their sexual behavior even with good friends, nobody challenges them on their late-night exploits in unsafe places, their arrest record or brushes with the law, or potential health risks because of their behavior.
The truth is gay male sex addicts are not compulsively sexual because of their sexual orientation, but rather as a consequence of their individual psychological issues and biological predisposition toward addiction. This is exactly the same set of risk factors presented by straight male sex addicts.
Unfortunately, for the gay (sex) addict, his increasingly destructive patterns of behavior take place against a cultural background of dramatically greater sexual and social freedoms than those enjoyed by his heterosexual peers. The single urban gay man who has problems with sex, alcohol, or drugs is in some ways a prisoner of his own freedoms, having fewer cultural opportunities for self-examination and less cultural support for behavior change than does an average heterosexual male.
Finally, there is a resource that can help gay men determine if they are indeed a sex addict and whether or not they are willing to explore behavior change because of their sexual behavior.

Robert Weiss, LCSW, CSAT-S, is director of sexual disorders services for Elements Behavioral Health and founding director of The Sexual Recovery Institute, an outpatient sexual addiction treatment center in Los Angeles, California. His media appearances include ESPN, The Discovery Channel, the "Today "show, "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Anderson Cooper 360," and "Dateline NBC."

"The Salts of the Earth and Synthetic Insanity" by Dennis Miller is a radically different view of the cause of Bipolar Mental Disorder. Author Dennis Miller uses physiology and biochemistry to explain this disease, also known as manic-depression. This book is unlike any other book on bipolar disease. Author Dennis Miller sets forth a physiologic explanation of the symptoms and cause of this disease. Author Dennis Miller proposes that the mental symptoms are a result of a physiologic disease that affects the kidney. Author Dennis Miller substantiates this theory with over 200 footnotes, many from the medical texts "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine" and "The Merck Manual," National Institute of Health, and major universities. If you have this disease or if you are involved in the treatment of this disease, then "The Salts of the Earth and Synthetic Insanity" is an absolute necessity.

An average of 1400 people call the South African Depression and Anxiety Suicide Helpline every day. And those are just the people who know it exists and are able to reach out for help, either for themselves or for a loved one.

Journalist Marion Scher has spent years speaking to people suffering from depression or some other form of mental illness and felt compelled to share some of these stories in Surfacing. Each chapter tells a different and very personal story, from a Springbok rugby player faced overnight with mental illness to a successful businessman who attempted suicide three times in one day. A new mother whose horrific real experiences didn’t match the Instagram photos of blissful motherhood she had expected, and a mother’s heartbreaking story of surviving the loss of her teenage daughter to suicide. The common thread that runs through the stories is how each person learnt to deal with their illness, conquer their personal mountains and go on to lead healthy, fulfilled lives – more than they’d ever hoped for.

Most stories of mental illness go untold, hidden away, for fear of the stigma that mental illness holds. Marion hopes this book will inspire you to reach out for help for yourself or to offer encouragement to people you know who are battling secret demons.

Following extensive research in the UK, Bruce Cohen allows mental health users to tell their own stories (or "narratives") of illness and recovery. Institutional and home treatment care is covered alongside controversial self-coping techniques such as drug-taking, spiritualism, alternative healing, sleep and watching television. This book is the first volume allowing mental health users to speak to the professional community which offers to treat them and as such will be an important resource for professionals, students and practitioners in the mental health field.