Research is finding a way to measure the problem. This seminal 2-volume book contains hundreds of the most useful measurement tools for use in clinical practice and in research. All measures are critiqued by the editors, who provide guidance on how to select and score them and the actual measures are wholly reproduced. This second volume, focusing on measures for use with adults, whose conditions of concerns are not focused on family relationships or couple relationships, includes an introduction to the basic principles of measurement, an overview of different types of measures, and an overview of the Rapid Assessment Inventories included herein. Volume II also contains descriptions and reviews of each instrument, as well as information on how they were selected and how to administer and score them. This book is designed as the definitive reference volume on assessment measures for both practice and research in clinical mental health. This fifth edition of Corcoran and Fischer's Measures for Clinical Practice and Research is updated with a new preface, new scales, and updated information for existing instruments, expanding and cementing its utility for members of all the helping professions, including psychology, social work, psychiatry, counseling, nursing, and medicine. Alone or as a set, these classic compendiums are powerful tools that clinicians and researchers alike will find an invaluable addition to - or update of - their libraries.

For the first time in a single volume, distinguished experts address the complex issues -- issues rarely confronted in empirical studies of patients with schizophrenia -- and controversial research surrounding the assessment of negative symptoms and cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia.

Despite recent advances in our understanding of schizophrenia, still notably absent is consensus in assessing negative symptom treatment response. What is the most effective assessment method -- given the varying methodologies and contradictory results to date? What constitutes an adequate response? Which medication -- none is specifically indicated and licensed for negative symptom treatment -- yields the best results? What are the indications for use of this medication? Which instrument best measures negative symptom treatment response (eight rating scales are analyzed here)? Reaching consensus among clinicians and researchers alike is even more difficult because assessment is often thwarted by extrapyramidal side effects of medications, similarities to depressive symptoms, and secondary effects of psychotic experiences.

In addition to clarifying these pressing issues, Negative Symptom and Cognitive Deficit Treatment Response in Schizophrenia also discusses - The importance of measuring the experience of emotion versus the more traditional objectively measured symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, and how deficits in emotional experience may resist treatment -- even in treatment-responsive patients.

- The family as an often overlooked source of information about negative symptom improvement or worsening, and the impact of negative symptoms on patients' relatives.

- How treatment affects social functioning and subjective experience of "quality of life," and the importance of neurocognitive dysfunction in the social deficits of schizophrenia, which often persist despite significant amelioration of other symptoms.

- Specific guidelines for assessing neurocognitive treatment response. Cognitive enhancement is a major factor in improving the quality of patients' lives.

- The latest research on the neurobiology of negative symptoms, including the role of various neurotransmitter systems and brain regions in mediating negative symptom pathology. Also discussed is single vs. multiple pathophysiological processes and single treatment modality vs. distinct treatments for different aspects of negative symptoms.

- How to distinguish "pure" negative symptoms from deficit symptoms (i.e., those that persist for at least 1 year and are not secondary to factors such as depression, medication side effects, anxiety, delusions, and hallucinations), and which treatment is indicated for each.

Highlighted by patient vignettes, this in-depth guide will be welcomed by all clinicians who treat patients with schizophrenia and want to know and document whether their interventions ameliorate negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction, and by all researchers who study schizophrenia, particularly those interested in clinical issues and treatment studies.

The role of dopamine in schizophrenia has been a significant area of research. The measurement of the major dopamine metabolite, homovanillic acid (HVA), in various body fluids, especially in blood plasma, is one of the primary methods to assess brain dopamine neuronal activity in schizophrenic patients.

Written by leading researchers in the field, "Plasma Homovanillic Acid in Schizophrenia" provides the most comprehensive and current collection of information on plasma HVA levels to be found anywhere. It provides a concise synthesis and critique of current data as well as interesting proposals for future research.

This book will be of great value to any serious student of the biology of schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders involving abnormal levels of plasma HVA.

Borderline Personality Disorder: Tailoring the Psychotherapy to the Patient explores the challenge of treating patients with borderline personality disorder. These patients make up a large segment of the difficult-to-treat population. The instability of their relationships, the intensity of their affective responses, and their proneness to paranoid reactions all contribute to their difficulty in working consistently and constructively in the psychotherapeutic situation. When one adds these difficult patient problems to the therapist's quandary about how expressive or supportive to be, therapists are indeed often confronted with a challenging therapeutic task. The book begins with a review of the clinical and research literature pertaining to the treatment of borderline patients. It presents a unique, empirically based intensive study of three borderline patients, based on transcripts of audiotaped therapy sessions. The research methodology is reviewed, and clinically oriented descriptions of the three patients, their psychotherapy processes, and their outcomes are included. Following an overall summary of results, conclusions regarding the differential indications for supportive versus expressive emphasis in psychotherapy are discussed. In their research, the authors recorded every psychotherapy session and studied a randomly selected group of sessions. Therefore, the reader is provided with increased insight into what is most effective with what kind of patient at a given point in the therapy process.

Decisions about life-sustaining treatment are often ethically challenging for patients, surrogate decision-makers, and health care professionals. Providing safe, effective, and compassionate care near the end of life is a priority for health care organizations. In times of uncertainty, crisis, or reflection, and in efforts to improve health care for seriously ill patients, guidelines can help. This is the first updated, expanded edition of The Hastings Center's 1987 Guidelines on the Termination of Life-Sustaining Treatment and Care of the Dying, which shaped the ethical and legal framework for decision-making on treatment and end-of-life care in the United States. The new edition, the product of an authoritative consensus process, incorporates 25 years of research, innovation, and developments in law and policy. It summarizes the current framework for making good decisions about treatment and care and identifies educational and organizational goals for health care systems. It covers care planning, decision-making for adults and for children, care transitions, the determination of death, and the policies and processes that support good care at the bedside. It also addresses the psychological and social dimensions of care near the end of life, with attention to effective communication with patients and loved ones and among team members. This book is written for physicians, nurses, and other clinicians in hospitals, nursing homes, home care, and hospice. It is structured for ease of reference during difficult clinical situations and includes extensive practical recommendations supported by print and online resources. This book is also essential reading for clinical ethicists, ethics committee members, health lawyers, and medical and nursing directors. As the U.S. confronts the challenges of health care reform, an aging population, increasing technological capacity to extend life, and serious cost implications, The Hastings Center Guidelines are invaluable to educators, scholars, and policymakers.

Titles in the Pocket Tutor series give practical guidance on subjects that medical students and foundation doctors need help with on the go, at a highly affordable price that puts them within reach of those rotating through modular courses or working on attachment. Topics reflect information needs stemming from today's integrated undergraduate & foundation courses: * Common investigations (ECG, imaging, etc) * Clinical skills (surface anatomy, patient examination, etc.) * Clinical specialties that students perceive as too small to merit a textbook (psychiatry, renal medicine) Key Points * Highly affordable price and convenient pocket size format - fits in back pocket * Logical, sequential content: the first principles of emergency imaging, then a guide to understanding a normal image and the building blocks of an abnormal image, before describing specific clinical disorders * Clinical disorders are illustrated by high quality radiographs, ultrasounds, CTs and MRIs, with brief accompanying text that clearly identifies the defining feature of the image * Focuses on the conditions that medical students and foundation doctors are most likely to see and be tested on

During the 10 years since publication of the first edition of this comprehensive volume, progress in neuroscience has had direct and immediate clinical implications in both the pharmacological and psychological arenas in the treatment of one of psychiatry's greatest challenges: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

This second edition reflects this progress. Chapters include the latest data on the use of all current OCD treatments in special populations, such as the strictly religious, the elderly, children, adolescents, and those who are pregnant, and all are illustrated with new and updated detailed case histories that highlight specific treatments and diagnostic issues. This edition includes - Three new pharmacotherapy chapters that discuss the use of sertraline, paroxetine, and citalopram and updates of the original edition's chapters on clomipramine, fluoxetine, and fluvoxamine- An expanded chapter on children and adolescents that emphasizes the benefits of early detection, and describes the latest findings in immunological research with particular regard to pediatric autoimmune neurologic disorders associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS) - An expanded behavioral therapy chapter that encompasses not only detailed treatment plans for both individuals and groups (including multifamily groups) but also up-to-date empirical data to support their use- The latest data on compounds for treating OCD (twice the number of compounds are now available than when the first edition was published), including details of the dramatic increase in our knowledge of pharmacokinetics, receptor profiles, interactions, and comparative efficacy during the past decade- The clinical implications of today's broadened definition of OCD, which includes disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania, pathological gambling, and Tourette's syndrome, and the complicated diagnostic and management issues -- with a call for innovative treatment approaches -- raised by the intimate relationship between OCD and schizophrenia (15% of patients with schizophrenia also have OCD)- A multidisciplinary approach to treatment-resistant OCD, which occurs in approximately 30% of all cases, suggesting ways to combine our current knowledge and focus it on the treatment of a specific individual

With their extensive clinical and research experience in treating OCD, the distinguished contributors to this volume provide clinicians with the latest, most reliable data so that they may better match treatment approaches with each patient's unique needs. Of enduring practical value, this updated "how to" manual will be welcomed by all clinicians treating patients with OCD, as well as students and other interested clinicians, as an effective tool in the ongoing challenge to understand and treat this frustrating disorder.

This book focuses on broadly defined areas of chemical information science- with special emphasis on chemical informatics- and computer-aided molecular design. The computational and cheminformatics methods discussed, and their application to drug discovery, are essential for sustaining a viable drug development pipeline. It is increasingly challenging to identify new chemical entities and the amount of money and time invested in research to develop a new drug has greatly increased over the past 50 years. The average time to take a drug from clinical testing to approval is currently 7.2 years. Therefore, the need to develop predictive computational techniques to drive research more efficiently to identify compounds and molecules, which have the greatest likelihood of being developed into successful drugs for a target, is of great significance. New methods such as high throughput screening (HTS) and techniques for the computational analysis of hits have contributed to improvements in drug discovery efficiency. The SARMs developed by Jurgen and colleagues have enabled display of SAR data in a more transparent scaffold/functional SAR table. There are many tools and databases available for use in applied drug discovery techniques based on polypharmacology. The cheminformatics approaches and methodologies presented in this volume and at the Skolnik Award Symposium will pave the way for improved efficiency in drug discovery. The lectures and the chapters also reflect the various aspects of scientific enquiry and research interests of the 2015 Herman Skolnik award recipient.

Professor Steve Peters is a Consultant Psychiatrist and author of the bestselling self-help book, The Chimp Paradox. He has years of experience as a clinician, an educator and has worked with some of the world's most successful athletes. His new book 'A Path through the Jungle' will help you to become robust and resilient. Professor Peters explains complex neuroscience in straightforward terms with his Chimp Management Mind Model Robust: Becoming robust means having plans in place to manage your own mind and whatever situations you meet in life. Resilient: is being able to bounce back and manage the challenges of life. Resilience is a skill. A Path through the Jungle offers a structured programme with exercises and practical real-life examples. This book will help you to improve in areas such as: * Managing stress and anxiety * Improved relationships * Emotional management * Grief and loss * Self-confidence * Peace of mind * Happiness * Managing stress

One out of every 75 people worldwide will be afflicted with panic disorder during their lifetime. "Treatment of Panic Disorder" presents the latest research of leading psychology, psychiatry, cardiology, internal medicine, and methodology experts working in this field. The authors address such issues as - What is panic disorder? - How is it diagnosed? - What are the current treatments? - What are the effects of these treatments? - What are the directions for future research?

Over the years, psychologists have devoted uncountable hours to learning how human beings make judgments and decisions. As much progress as scholars have made in explaining what judges do over the past few decades, there remains a certain lack of depth to our understanding. Even where scholars can make consensual and successful predictions of a judge's behavior, they will often disagree sharply about exactly what happens in the judge's mind to generate the predicted result. This volume of essays examines the psychological processes that underlie judicial decision making. The first section of the book takes as its starting point the fact that judges make many of the same judgments and decisions that ordinary people make and considers how our knowledge about judgment and decision-making in general applies to the case of legal judges. In the second section, chapters focus on the specific tasks that judges perform within a unique social setting and examine the expertise and particular modes of reasoning that judges develop to deal with their tasks in this unique setting. Finally, the third section raises questions about whether and how we can evaluate judicial performance, with implications for the possibility of improving judging through the selection and training of judges and structuring of judicial institutions. Together the essays apply a wide range of psychological insights to help us better understand how judges make decisions and to open new avenues of inquiry into the influences on judicial behavior.

"Innovative Approaches for Difficult-to-Treat Populations" makes recommendations for developing and disseminating innovative mental health services. It is geared toward clinicians, administrators, and policy-makers struggling to develop both clinically effective and cost-effective mental health and substance abuse services, and it focuses on services for individuals who use the highest proportion of mental health resources and for whom traditional services have not been effective. These target populations include youth with serious behavioral and emotional disturbances and adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses.

The innovative approaches reviewed include diverse treatment methods for differing clinical populations. These varied approaches have several common elements: Social-ecological theory frameworks An emphasis on delivering flexible, comprehensive, pragmatic, and goal-oriented interventions in persons& rsquo; natural environments Increased accountability on the part of service providers The transition from centralized to community-based care is discussed, and normalizing a patient& rsquo;s daily routine as an important factor in the success of state-of-the-art community support programs is emphasized

"Innovative Approaches for Difficult-to-Treat Populations" offers mental health professionals and students a firsthand look at the future direction of clinical services. Policy issues necessary to developing and disseminating progressive treatments are addressed, including the downsizing of state psychiatric hospitals, strategies for reforming state mental hospital systems, and ethical issues in research on child and adolescent mental disorders.

Frontotemporal Dementia provides an in-depth look at the history, various types, genetics, neuropathology and psychosocial aspects of one of the most common but least understood causes of dementia, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, from one of the world's leading centers for the study of dementia. Aided by the latest research in diagnosis, mechanism and treatment, this book captures the rich and quickly changing landscape of a devastating neurodegenerative disease, and offers up-to-date clinical advice for patient care. Frontotemporal dementia, in particular, raises psychological and philosophical questions about the nature of self, free will, emotion, art and behavior - important topics for practitioners and families to appreciate as they care for the sufferer. This book includes case studies, photographs and figures from the leaders in the field and personal communication from the researchers driving these developments.

Since its beginnings in the 1970s, the field of torture rehabilitation has grown rapidly. A growing awareness about the practice of torture (more than 100 countries today practice government-sanctioned torture) and its effects on victims is leading to an increasing number of dedicated treatment centers. The health care professionals on the staffs of these centers need the best, most up-to-date information and advice they can get. This book delivers it.

"Caring for Victims of Torture" contains all the collective wisdom of some of the most respected international experts in the treatment of victims of government torture& mdash;all distinguished physicians& mdash;including pioneers in the field of traumatic stress. Contributors discuss the most recent advances in knowledge about government-sanctioned torture and offer practical approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of torture victims. Organized into six main sections, this annotated volume provides an overview of the history and politics of torture and rehabilitation; guidance in identifying and defining the sequelae of torture; a framework for assessment and treatment; specific treatment interventions; and a discussion of ethical implications. In the final section, physicians working in the field offer firsthand accounts and address how they are trying to balance politics with caregiving.

Focusing on the physician& rsquo;s role, this book is chiefly a clinical guide. But for advanced-level students, it serves as a thorough, up-to-date text and reference work. Religious leaders, lawyers, politicians, human rights advocates, and torture victims themselves will find it a valuable resource as well.

Surviving critical illness is not always the happy ending we imagine for patients. Many ICU survivors suffer from a range of long-lasting physical and psychological issues such end stage renal disease, congestive heart failure, cognitive impairment, neuromuscular weakness, and depression or anxiety, which affect their overall quality of life and ability to lead productive lives. This lingering burden or 'legacy' of critical illness is now recognized as a major public health issue, with major efforts underway to understand how it can be prevented, mitigated, or treated. The Textbook of Post-ICU Medicine: The Legacy of Critical Care discusses the science of the recovery process and the innovative treatment regimens which are helping ICU survivors regain function as they heal following trauma or disease. Describing the major clinical syndromes affecting ICU survivors, the book delineates established or postulated biological mechanisms of the post-acute recovery process, and discusses strategies for treatment and rehabilitation to promote recovery in the ICU and in the long term. The chapters are written by an interdisciplinary panel of leading clinicians and researchers working in the field. The book serves as a unique reference for general practitioners, internists and nurses caring for long term ICU survivors as well as specialists in intensive care medicine, neurology, psychiatry, and rehabilitation medicine.

Traditionally, impulsive and compulsive behaviors have been categorized as fundamentally distinct. However, patients often exhibit both of these behaviors. This common comorbidity has sparked renewed interest in the factors contributing to the disorders in which these behaviors are prominent. "Impulsivity and Compulsivity" applies a provocative spectrum model to this psychopathology. The spectrum model is consistent with a dimensional model for psychopathology and considers the dynamic interaction of biopsychosocial forces in the development of impulsive and compulsive disorders.

In this important work on impulsive/compulsive psychopathology, leading researchers and clinicians share their expertise on the phenomenological, biological, psychodynamic, and treatment aspects of these disorders. Differential diagnosis, comorbidity of the impulsive-compulsive spectrum of disorders, and assessment by the seven-factor model of temperament and character are discussed. Chapters are also dedicated to the antianxiety function of impulsivity and compulsivity, defense mechanisms in impulsive disorders versus obsessive-compulsive disorders, and the unique aspects of psychotherapy with impulsive and compulsive patients.

Clinical researchers and clinicians will be enlightened by this exceptional work. The information provided is supplemented with clinical vignettes, and the final chapter provides a synthetic summary that offers a unified, dynamic approach to impulsive and compulsive behavior.

Clinical research requires that some people be used and possibly harmed for the benefit of others. What justifies such use of people? This book provides an in-depth philosophical analysis of several crucial issues raised by that question.
Much writing on the ethics of research with human subjects assumes that participation in research is a distinctive activity that requires distinctive moral principles. In most contexts, we allow people to choose the activities in which they engage. By contrast, people are permitted to participate in research only after Institutional Review Boards determine that it is appropriate for them to do so. Although we assume that consent to participate in research must be preceded by an elaborate disclosure of information, we make no such assumption in many other areas of life. Although it is thought to be morally problematic to provide financial inducements to prospective subjects, we make no such assumptions when we hire people as loggers, fishermen, and fire fighters. Although we readily accept the "off-shoring" of manufacturing, many regard the off-shoring of medical research with great skepticism. This book seeks to widen the lens through which we consider such issues. When we do so, we will find that many standard principles of research ethics are difficult to defend.
The book first argues that because respect for "autonomy" has been a central tenet of research ethics, many have failed to recognize that the structure of the regulation of research is deeply paternalistic and have therefore failed to justify such paternalism. The book then rejects "the autonomous authorization" model that characterizes most writing in bioethics and argues for a "fair transaction" model. Although many worry that the use of financial payment to recruit research subjects is coercive or constitutes an undue inducement, the book argues that most of those worries are misplaced. Shifting its attention to research in developing societies, the book considers the claim that international researchers exploit research abroad often exploits its subjects. Finally, the book considers the claim that because researchers benefit from their use of research subjects, they acquire special obligations to them or their communities.

"Managing Managed Care II: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals," Second Edition, provides an easy-to-learn, easy-to-use method for documenting and communicating the necessity, appropriateness, and course of treatment for managed care review. Using the Patient Impairment Profile method, practitioners can convincingly convey a clinical rationale for treatment, efficiently track progress over time, and demonstrate favorable patient outcomes.

Keeping pace with the evolving and expanding presence of managed care, the authors have extensively revised and enlarged the previous edition. New clinical research on the validity and reliability of the impairment terminology has produced a much-improved, clinically valid, and statistically reliable impairment lexicon. Detailed severity rating qualifiers, reference lists of patient objectives, and a useful glossary have been added. All regulations have also been updated.

"Managing Managed Care II" is reference and valuable resource for mental health practitioners and for the individuals who monitor and review treatment. By providing concise, relevant, and outcome-focused treatment information, practitioners become proactive participants in managed care while adeptly articulating the value and quality of their services.

Twelve-step programs are revolutionizing and reshaping our thinking about--and treatment of--addiction. Because these programs are based in the community instead of in an institutional or academic setting, they often employ techniques and language that can be confusing and alien to health care professionals. Written in a clear, easy-to-understand style, this book explores these programs and provides a guide on how to integrate them into ongoing human services.

Written by internationally renowned experts, "A Bridge to Recovery: An Introduction to 12-Step Programs" includes up-to-date information to bridge the gap between mutual aid programs, human services, and the professional community. This practical book is designed to assist with the implementation of these programs into routine practice while providing a useful reference for academic and educational professionals.

Originally published in 1995, the first edition of Managing Your Mind established a unique place in the self-help book market. A blend of tried-and-true psychological counseling and no-nonsense management advice grounded in the principles of CBTand other psychological treatments, the book straddled two types of self-help literature, arguing that in one's personal and professional life, the way to success is the same. By adopting the practical strategies that mental health experts Butler and Hope have developed over years of clinical research and practice, one can develop the "mental fitness" necessary to resolve one's personal and interpersonal challenges at home and work and to live a productive, satisfying life.
The first edition addressed how to develop key skills to mental fitness (e.g., managing one's time better, facing and solving problems better, keeping things in perspective, learning to relax, etc.), how to improve one's relationships, how to beat anxiety and depression, and how to establish a good mind-body balance. For this new edition, Butler and Hope have updated all preexisting material and have added five new chapters-on sexuality and intimate relationships; anger in relationships; recent traumatic events and their aftermath; loss and bereavement; and dealing with the past.

This is the first book to examine the specific myths, controversies, and research findings in the area of late luteal phase dysphoric disorder (LLPDD; now called premenstrual dysphoric disorder[PMDD]). Written by members of the LLPDD Work Group for DSM-IV, "Premenstrual Dysphorias: Myths and Realities" presents the latest issues surrounding the concept of premenstrual dysphoria. It includes a thorough description of empirical issues related to the recent literature on LLPDD, examines the methodological problems of LLPDD research, and covers sociocultural issues, including early medical approaches to menstruation and myths about menstruation.

"Premenstrual Dysphorias: Myths and Realities" is designed to promote a better understanding of menstruation and the myths related to the menstrual cycle. It also covers the specific diagnosis and treatment of disorders that affect women and recommendations for future research.

"Gender and Psychopathology" explores the gender differences in psychiatric syndromes in terms of symptoms, courses of illness, epidemiology, and treatment responses. The book addresses the reasons for the differences from many competing and additive points of view by distinguished multidisciplinary contributors. This text includes comprehensive up-to-date DSM-IV categories of illness for the male-female differences in psychiatric disorders.

Depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, eating disorders, somatoform disorders, sleep disorders, and addictions are among the topics explored. Those interested in specific issues can read particular chapters of interest because each chapter is complete in itself. This is the first book to explore gender differences in psychopathology. "Gender and Psychopathology" will be informative and useful to students, researchers, and mental health clinicians of all disciplines.

Today& rsquo;s rapidly changing mental health care environment has created both complex challenges and unique opportunities for the community psychiatrist. "Practicing Psychiatry in the Community: A Manual" is an indispensable resource for practitioners and psychiatric residents. Clinically active psychiatrists will find this manual invaluable as they adopt new roles in this dynamic and exciting field.

This comprehensive work by leading experts in the field addresses the major issues currently facing community psychiatrists. It even includes a user-friendly guide to the development of a research program in a community setting.

Organized into three main sections, this manual provides essential information on treatment settings, target populations, and special topics in the community psychiatry domain. The Treatment Continuum explores the varied environments in which community psychiatric services may be offered, including outpatient treatment, crisis resolution services, and psychiatric rehabilitation programs. Populations such as mentally disordered children, adolescents, and the elderly; HIV-infected patients; the homeless mentally ill; the developmentally disabled; chemically dependent patients; dually diagnosed patients; violent patients; and the chronically mentally ill have unique needs requiring skilled clinical care. The Target Populations section provides the community psychiatrist with useful and practical guidelines for the treatment of each of these patient groups. The Special Topics section ushers the community psychiatrist into the era of contemporary community psychiatric practice with vital information on emerging issues like cultural diversity, the principles ofeffective collaboration with advocacy and family/self-help groups, the role of the multidisciplinary team, and legal and training issues.

The phenomenon of trichotillomania, or hair pulling, has been observed for centuries. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates noted hair pulling as one of the many symptoms that the physician was advised to assess as a routine matter. In our present time and culture, & ldquo;pulling one& rsquo;s hair out& rdquo; is more typically referred to in the context of depression, frustration, boredom, or other emotional turmoil.

In truth, hair pulling is a highly prevalent behavior that may be associated with significant morbidity.

Edited by experts in the field, "Trichotillomania" addresses the importance of the study of hair pulling from both a clinical and a research perspective. Documenting the clinical phenomenology, morbidity, and management of trichotillomania, it discusses the phenomenology of childhood trichotillomania, providing a comprehensive description of its symptoms and sequelae. Of particular value for the clinician are contributions on the assessment of trichotillomania and a detailed cognitive-behavioral treatment plan. The uses of medication, the place of a psychodynamic perspective, the value of behavioral interventions, and the role of hypnotherapy are also thoroughly discussed.

This discerning text further documents the significance of research on trichotillomania for obtaining a broader understanding of complex brain-behavior relationships. While recent research has suggested that hair pulling lies on the spectrum of obsessive-compulsive disorder, a range of evidence is presented that indicates important differences between trichotillomania and OCD. As such, attention by clinicians to hair pulling may be of enormous value to patients, whose condition waspreviously unrecognized, while leading to a better understanding of the range of OCD-like disorders.