The use of visual art is relatively common in scientific literature, and academic publications sometimes reproduce famous paintings to attract potential readers. When used in this manner, artwork is just a marginal adornment. In The Painted Mind, however, each chapter is inspired by an artistic masterpiece. Throughout the book, Dr. Troisi highlights the artistic significance of each painting and introduces the reader to their creators' biographical stories. The Painted Mind has a scientific focus on the evolutionary analysis of human mind and behavior. Its discussion of emotions and behaviors integrates a variety of perspectives that can ultimately be reduced to the evolutionary distinction between proximate mechanisms and adaptive functions. Although Dr. Troisi is primarily a clinical psychiatrist, his eclectic scientific background-ranging from primate ethology to neuroscience, from behavioral biology to molecular genetics, and from Darwinian psychiatry to evolutionary psychology-gives his writing a unique perspective. In addition to integrating data and findings from each of these disciplines, the book's presentation of evolutionary theories of the human mind is also intermixed with lively discussion of individual cases. Some are clinical cases from Dr. Troisi's own psychiatric practice; others reference the psychological profiles of historical figures and fictional characters.

This book offers a step-by-step guide to mental health assessment for bariatric surgery patients. A general introduction explains the concepts of bariatric psychology and psychiatry, their relevance in contemporary bariatric surgery, and reasons to include psychologists and psychiatrists in multidisciplinary teams taking care of bariatric patients. The following four chapters address the aspects of mental health that are investigated by bariatric psychology. The psychological processes analyzed here play a major role in influencing patients' perception of the outcomes of bariatric surgery and in determining their commitment to lifestyle changes and follow-up programs. The second part of the book includes nine chapters addressing the clinical conditions relevant to bariatric psychiatry. For each condition, the major focus is on the impact of psychopathology on bariatric surgery outcomes (weight loss, weight regain, quality of life) and the impact of surgery on its course (remission, worsening, de novo onset). Each chapter in this part includes a discussion of the diagnostic instruments (i.e., structured interviews, clinician-rated tests, and patient-rated tests) that should be used to obtain a valid assessment of the patient's mental status. Separate chapters focus on psychiatric complications (e.g., suicide and addiction transfer) and psychological problems related to quality of life (e.g., body image dissatisfaction) that may emerge postoperatively. Data on these postsurgery conditions has been reported only recently and, therefore, no published book deals with them. The final chapter offers an overview of unsolved issues in bariatric psychology and psychiatry and reviews emerging research findings that are likely to change assessment and care of bariatric patients' mental health in the near future. Given its scope-and its wealth of tables, diagrams, mnemonics, and key fact boxes-the book will be an invaluable reference tool for clinicians.

Can evolutionary theory explain depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders? The authors re-examine this old question in light of current research and show that evolution may provide the essential framework for understanding both everyday human behavior and a range of mental disorders. Their discussion includes up-to-date research on emotions, moods, symptoms, and mental processing. The authors make a compelling case for the view that prominent features of mental disorders are simply adaptive responses to the environment and life's circumstances and that these responses can only be understood in the context of our long evolutionary past.

This book offers a step-by-step guide to mental health assessment for bariatric surgery patients. A general introduction explains the concepts of bariatric psychology and psychiatry, their relevance in contemporary bariatric surgery, and reasons to include psychologists and psychiatrists in multidisciplinary teams taking care of bariatric patients. The following four chapters address the aspects of mental health that are investigated by bariatric psychology. The psychological processes analyzed here play a major role in influencing patients' perception of the outcomes of bariatric surgery and in determining their commitment to lifestyle changes and follow-up programs. The second part of the book includes nine chapters addressing the clinical conditions relevant to bariatric psychiatry. For each condition, the major focus is on the impact of psychopathology on bariatric surgery outcomes (weight loss, weight regain, quality of life) and the impact of surgery on its course (remission, worsening, de novo onset). Each chapter in this part includes a discussion of the diagnostic instruments (i.e., structured interviews, clinician-rated tests, and patient-rated tests) that should be used to obtain a valid assessment of the patient's mental status. Separate chapters focus on psychiatric complications (e.g., suicide and addiction transfer) and psychological problems related to quality of life (e.g., body image dissatisfaction) that may emerge postoperatively. Data on these postsurgery conditions has been reported only recently and, therefore, no published book deals with them. The final chapter offers an overview of unsolved issues in bariatric psychology and psychiatry and reviews emerging research findings that are likely to change assessment and care of bariatric patients' mental health in the near future. Given its scope-and its wealth of tables, diagrams, mnemonics, and key fact boxes-the book will be an invaluable reference tool for clinicians.