Get a quick, expert overview of complex childhood psychiatric disorders from Drs. David I. Driver, and Shari Thomas, of Healthy Foundations Group. This practical resource presents a summary of today's current knowledge and best approaches to topics from gender dysphoria to childhood onset schizophrenia and other complex psychiatric disorders. Comprehensive guide for any professional working with children. Consolidates today's evidence-based information on complex childhood psychiatric disorders into one convenient resource. Provides must-know information on evaluation and management. Covers a range of psychiatric disorders of children including psychosis, autoimmune encephalitides, delirium, concussions, ADHD, irritability, sleep disorders, and eating disorders.

Substance Use Disorders: Assessment and Treatment is a summary of everything a therapist should know about substance abuse in one easy-to-read comprehensive book. The book begins with a discussion of the pharmacology of specific drug classes (opioids, hallucinogens, etc.) and the epidemiology of abuse. It then presents psychological theories of substance abuse, the initiation and progression of substance abuse disorders, issues of prevention and early intervention, and screening and assessment for substance abuse (including specific tests for assessment) and discusses in detail the various treatment methodologies available. Two final chapters explore issues relevant to special populations and legal and ethical considerations, regarding issues such as confidentiality and coerced treatment.
Key Features
* A synthesis of the current research and clinical literature
* Includes strengths and weaknesses of commonly used psychometric assessment measures
* Presentation and review of a complete Psychosocial/Substance Use Assessment form
* Discussion of treatment settings and criteria for placement decisions
* Discussion of treatment alternatives and effectiveness of major pharmacological and psychotherapeutic approaches
* Discussion of factors leading to Relapse, and components of Relapse Prevention programs

The book begins with a public health/epidemiologic examination of the situation, with a systematic view of the problem based on classic (infectious disease) epidemiologic principles applied to this behavioral health issue. This application is expanded to take into account the fact that unlike most epidemics in our species' history, a unique factor that must be accounted for in any public health analysis is that the host (opioid-dependent/misusing patient) is generally not under sufficiently strong motivation to avoid the disease. The introduction concludes with a survey of recent containment approaches, categorized epidemiologically by target (agent, vector, host.) The remainder of the book is organized according to this framework, addressing agent, vector/transmission and host, respectively. Sections Three and Four comprise the major focus of the book, and are dedicated primarily to practical education for primary care providers in preventing opioid use disorder, and overcoming it after the fact.

Psychiatry today is a barren tundra, writes medical historian Edward Shorter, where drugs that don't work are used to treat diseases that don't exist. In this provocative volume, Shorter illuminates this dismal landscape, in a revealing account of why psychiatry is "losing ground" in the struggle to treat depression.
Naturally, the book looks at such culprits as the pharmaceutical industry, which is not inclined to market drugs once the patent expires, leading to the endless introduction of new--but not necessarily better--drugs. But the heart of the book focuses on an unexpected villain: the FDA, the very agency charged with ensuring drug safety and effectiveness. Shorter describes how the FDA permits companies to test new products only against placebo. If you can beat sugar pills, you get your drug licensed, whether or not it is actually better than (or even as good as) current medications, thus sweeping from the shelves drugs that may be superior but have lost patent protection. The book also examines the FDA's early power struggles against the drug industry, an influence-grab that had little to do with science, and which left barbiturates, opiates, and amphetamines all underprescribed, despite the fact that under careful supervision they are better at treating depression, with fewer side effects, than the newer drugs in the Prozac family. Shorter also castigates academia, showing how two forms of depression, melancholia and nonmelancholia--"as different from each other as chalk and cheese"--became squeezed into one dubious classification, major depression, which was essentially a political artifact born of academic infighting.
An astonishing and troubling look at modern psychiatry, Losing Ground is a book that is sure to spark controversy for years to come.

This issue of Psychiatric Clinics, guest edited by Dr. Thomas Franklin, will provide a unique look into several key topics in Psychodynamic Psychiatry. Articles in this volume include, but are not limited to: Preserving the Person in contemporary psychiatry, Psychodynamic psychiatrist as advocate, The role of Personality Dynamics and Disrupted Grieving, Obstacles for Parity for Psychotherapy Benefits, Psychodynamic Theory and Treatment of PTSD, Using Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) principals in Acute Care Settings, The Overall Diagnosis, Innovative educational initiatives to train psychodynamic psychiatrists in underserved areas of the world, and Psychodynamic treatment of substance use disorders.

Paradigms Lost challenges key paradigms currently held about the prevention or reduction of stigma attached to mental illness using evidence and the experience the authors gathered during the many years of their work in this field. Each chapter examines one currently held paradigm and presents reasons why it should be replaced with a new perspective. The book argues for enlightened opportunism (using every opportunity to fight stigma), rather than more time consuming planning, and emphasizes that the best way to approach anti-stigma work is to select targets jointly with those who are most concerned. The most radical change of paradigms concerns the evaluation of outcome for anti-stigma activities. Previously, changes in stigmatizing attitudes were used as the best indicator of success. Paradigms Lost and its authors argue that it is now necessary to measure changes in behaviors (both from the perspective of those stigmatized and those who stigmatize) to obtain a more valid measure of a program's success. Other myths to be challenged: providing knowledge about mental illness will reduce stigma; community care will de-stigmatize mental illness and psychiatry; people with a mental illness are less discriminated against in developing countries.
Paradigms Lost concludes by describing key elements in successful anti stigma work including the recommended duration of anti-stigma programmes, the involvement of those with mental illness in designing programmes, and the definition of programmes in accordance with local circumstances. A summary of weaknesses of currently held paradigms and corresponding lists of best practice principles to guide future anti-stigma action and research bring this insightful volume to an apt conclusion.

Nicotine and Other Tobacco Compounds in Neurodegenerative and Psychiatric Diseases: Epidemiological Data on Smoking and Preclinical and Clinical Data on Nicotine provides a comprehensive summary of the epidemiological data on smoking and several neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Tourette's syndrome, schizophrenia, anxiety, depression and ADHD, as well as preclinical and clinical data on the effects of nicotine. Despite the obvious and undisputed harmful nature of smoking, evidence suggests that some tobacco and tobacco smoke-derived constituents may offer neuroprotective effects, possibly in combinations, rather than individually. This unprecedented book describes the complex relationships between smoking and neurological disease and the bioactive compounds found in tobacco. It provides a comprehensive review of nicotine and other compounds found in tobacco plant, with scientific evidence of neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects that may act in conjunction with nicotine to exert neuroprotective effects observed in smokers. By presenting findings beyond harmful cigarette smoke effects, attention can be drawn to individual compounds of tobacco that may serve as inspiration for further therapy development.

This issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, edited by Dr. Matthew Willis, will cover management of Pediatric Medical Illnesses with a focus on clinical updates and treatment considerations for the child and adolescent psychiatrist Topics covered in the issue include, but are not limited to: Eating Disorders; Obesity and Insulin Resistance; Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Care in Young Adults with Medical Issues; Concussive syndrome: Acute Management and Chronic Post-Concussive Issues; Functional Abdominal Pain; Nonepileptic Seizures in Pediatric Patients: Diagnosis and Comorbidites; Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST); and Grief as an etiological factor in pediatric emotional and physical clinical presentations.

This timely issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, edited by Drs. Paul Weigle and Kristopher Kaliebe will focus on Internet Habits and Youth Mental Health. Topics discussed in the volume include, but are not limited to: Creation of a family media plan: how tech affects family dynamics and family therapy; Interplay between media habits and development from preschool through adolescence; Interplay between Autism and media habits; Interplay between Depression and media habits including online expression of suicidality and cutting; Interplay between Behaviorally disordered youth and media habits, including violent VG, cyberbullying; Eating disorders, obesity and online engagement; Internet Gaming Disorder (and tech addictions) Treatment; Sexting and online pornography engagement; Interplay between disadvantaged, gender non-conforming and minority youth and media habits; and Media sub-cultures and their intersection with mental illness.

The new edition of this critically praised textbook continues to provide the most comprehensive overview of the concepts, methods, and research advances in the field; particularly the application of molecular genomics and of neuroimaging. It has been revised and enhanced to capitalize on the strengths of the first and second editions while keeping it up-to-date with the field of psychiatry and epidemiology. This comprehensive publication now includes chapters on experimental epidemiology, gene-environment interactions, the use of case registries, eating disorders, suicide, childhood disorders and immigrant populations, and the epidemiology of a number of childhood disorders.

As in the first and second editions, the objective is to provide a comprehensive, easy to understand overview of research methods for the non-specialist. The book is ideal for students of psychiatric epidemiology, psychiatric residents, general psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals.

The book features a new editor, Peter Jones, from the University of Cambridge, who joins the successful US team of Ming Tsuang and Mauricio Tohen.

The concept of executive functioning has become central in understanding normal and abnormal cognitive processes. This timely volume analyzes the diverse conditions that can result in executive function disturbances, providing research about underlying causes, exploring the differences between developmental and acquired executive "dysfunctions," and providing approaches for the assessment of executive dysfunction both in children and in adults. In doing so, it addresses a gap in the literature in its analysis of executive function deficits and their link with psychopathology in psychiatric patients for the management of clinical symptoms and social adjustment. Among the specific topics examined: Theoretical approaches for the analysis of the diverse dysexecutive syndromes Common executive dysfunction syndromes found during childhood development: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorders Consequences of executive function deficits in the use of information technology Executive dysfunction and personality disorders Common executive function tests, assessment issues in executive dysfunction, and cross-cultural and bilingual questions in assessment of executive dysfunction Dysexecutive Syndromes: Clinical and Experimental Perspectives expertly extends the analysis of executive functions and dysfunctions from a fundamental and clinical perspective. It is essential reading for clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, neurologists, and psychiatrists, and graduate and post-graduate students in psychology, neurology, and the health neurosciences, as well as clinicians, counselors, and psychometricians working with neuropsychiatric assessment.

Do you seek to be less reactive, less judgmental, and more understanding of others? Using techniques of active understanding, you can find a healthier way of interacting with the people in your life.

In this self-help guide, retired psychiatrist Charles DeLong shares what he learned after three decades of private practice psychotherapy. He provides theories, examples, and steps to guide you through how to use active understanding to approach yourself, others, and the world.

Using active understanding principles helps us "get beyond ourselves" so that we can stay connected to the external reality. This not only increases our ability to adapt, but is also safer and more satisfying than being dependent upon the environment. What's more, it allows us to grow emotionally, evolve our personalities, and live with personal integrity.

Active understanding teaches us to

- stay in the here-and-now reality

- not take anything personally

- resist narcissistic defaults

- stop judging others

Discover the deeper meaning behind your emotions and learn simple ways of improving your relationships and your life.

There are certain phenomena, such as hypnosis, hysteria, multiple personality disorder, recovered memory syndrome, claims of satanic ritual abuse, alien abduction syndrome, and culture-specific disorders that, although common, are difficult to explain completely. The purpose of this volume is to apply a model of social relations to these phenomena in order to provide a different explanation for them. Wenegrat argues that they are socially-constructed illness roles or purposive behavior patterns into which patients fall while receiving either unintentional or intentional cues during interactions with caretakers and authority figures. The application of the social-relations model raises some important, yet previously overlooked, questions about these phenomena, illustrates some important aspects of human nature and consciousness, places illness behaviors in their larger, cultural context, and shows the way to a new and different view of mental life.

Mental Health Outcome Evaluation bridges the gap between traditional research and evaluation methods by presenting an alternative to the highly technical and statistical methods developed in the laboratory for mental health care professionals. It focuses on outcome evaluation of mental health services for adults, concentrating on the general principles that can be used to assess the service effectiveness of community health centers, clinics, and private practices. The book presents a formidable argument for descriptive outcome studies through its evaluation of the results and consequences of care and treatment as well as clinician ratings. It is written in a non-technical style, making it accessible to anyone in the mental health industry.
Key Features
* Addresses industry efforts to monitor and assess information about results and consequences of mental health care and treatment
* Evaluates use of clinician ratings as outcome information
* Offers accessible general principles for managers and mental health services researchers
* Presents the best argument for descriptive outcome studies

This issue of Psychiatric Clinics of North America, edited by Drs. Nidal Moukaddam, Veronica Tucci, will cover a wide arrange of topics in Behavioral Emergencies. Topics discussed in the issue include, but are not limited to: Medical Clearance of the Emergency Psychiatric Patient; Altered Mental State, Legal and Ethical Challenges in Emergency Psychiatry; Countertransference in the Clinical Setting; The Use of Psychotherapeutic Measures; Drugs of Abuse; Toxicological Emergencies in Patients With Mental Illness; Management of Depression and Suicidality in the Emergency Department; Special Considerations in the Pediatric Psychiatric Populations; Dementia and Special Considerations in the Geriatric Psychiatric Patient; The Changing Health Policy Environment and Behavioral Health Services Delivery; International Emergency Psychiatry Challenges; and Violence in the Emergency Department, among others.

"Adversity" involves exposure to unpropitious or calamitous circumstances. It occurs in extreme situations such as prolonged combat or natural disasters, both of which affect whole groups or communities of people simultaneously. It is found as well in more individually targeted events such as child abuse, bereavement, rape, physical illness, marital separation or divorce, unemployment, and homelessness. Exposure to adversity is not randomly distributed in society. It varies, for example, with gender, ethnic or racial background, and socioeconomic status. And some types of adversity can be precipitated by an individual's own actions.

In this volume, the leading investigators review research on the nature of adversity and its relationship to major types of psychopathology including schizophrenia, depression, alcoholism and other substance-use disorders, antisocial personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and nonspecific distress. These relationships are examined in terms of theoretical concepts of life stress that describe the characteristics of the ongoing situation in which adverse events occur and the factors of personality and coping ability that also affect psychiatric outcomes. The authors sift through firm and infirm findings and critically evaluate existing theory and research strategies and provide and integrative theoretical framework. No other book offers as comprehensive and authoritative a discussion of the role of psychosocial stress in causing mental disorders.

Bipolar disorder is one of the most common, and disabling, conditions affecting human kind. Each year, millions of individuals struggle with the effects of this illness. Although clinically well recognized for decades, if not centuries, the causes of this condition remain incompletely understood. However, in the past decade, significant technological advances in both neuroimaging and genetic research have revealed clues about the neurophysiological basis of bipolar illness. In this book, leading experts in neuroimaging and genetics discuss recent discoveries in bipolar disorder that identify both the structural, functional and chemical brain changes that seem to underlie this condition, as well as the possible genetic causes of these brain events. Based upon these discussions, the book then integrates these diverse considerations to develop a specific neurophysiological model of bipolar disorder. This model provides a resource to guide clinicians and patients as they struggle to understand this illness, as well as a guide for future investigations into the causes of bipolar disorder. With this guide in hand, this book will lead to a new framework for understanding bipolar disorder in order to, ultimately, develop improved therapies for affected individuals and novel strategies to prevent the onset in children at risk for this condition.