For the individuals experiencing them, delusions and strong beliefs can be profoundly distressing and extremely limiting to healthy living. They also present significant challenges to the mental health professionals working with these individuals—not least because there is not always consensus around what might be considered delusional. For the first time, Decoding Delusions gathers the literature and treatment guidance materials related to delusions in one place to offer clinicians an up-to-date, culturally informed, and illustrated guide to managing the spectrum of delusions and other extreme beliefs encountered in daily practice. In Part I, chapter authors define and assess delusions, examining the current research literature into their linguistic and cultural aspects, as well as the history of their treatment. Crucially, it also provides a lived-experience perspective. Part II features the insights of a series of international experts on interventions—including third-wave cognitive-behavioral models such as compassion-focused therapy—for delusional presentations that include the following: • Persecutory paranoia • Delusional jealousy • Erotomania • Capgras syndrome • Delusions of thought possession • Trauma as a pathway to delusions Readers also will find a nuanced discussion of working with patients from Japanese backgrounds that will enhance their cultural competency and encourage them to think about extreme beliefs through a cultural lens. In Part III, the chapter authors explore the management of delusions in specific settings. Examples include delusions in forensic settings and use of remote technologies such as Zoom and digital media for measurement-based care. Finally, live-action demonstrations of key clinical skills at work are provided through video clips. Unlike any other resource currently available, Decoding Delusions proposes an approach that supports the exploration of extreme beliefs with the aim not only of distress reduction but also meaningful recovery.

A growing body of both research and clinical experience confirms that intervening early in the progression of psychotic symptoms may delay or even prevent the movement toward more serious psychiatric illness. Young people at clinical high risk of developing psychosis, or those with a recent onset of psychosis, can benefit from a range of tailored interventions each emphasizing recovery and return to functioning. Achieving recovery and remission for people experiencing psychosis requires a multifaceted, team-based response, and it is precisely this sort of a holistic approach Intervening Early in Psychosis: A Team Approach provides. With expert guidance on tailoring care to the needs of young people experiencing a first-episode psychosis, this book—the first of its kind to focus on the U.S. health care environment—begins with an overview of the history of early psychosis services in the United States and the development of coordinated specialty care (CSC) services. Clinical case examples then illustrate the application of a range of evidence-based interventions, from the psychological and psychosocial—including cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis and supported employment and education—to peer, family, lifestyle, and technological interventions. All of these interventions are examined in individual detail, but it is the effectiveness of the interplay between them that the authors of Intervening Early in Psychosis emphasize. The collaboration of multidisciplinary stakeholders, including licensed therapists, medical providers, employment and education specialists, and peer specialists, is central to the success of the multimodal care model outlined in the guide and is examined at length. This interdisciplinary approach is underpinned by recovery-oriented language that focuses on healing and recovery rather than disability and illness management. The book also provides an individual and family perspective on the lived experience of psychosis that underscores the importance of engaging clients and their support network in a philosophy of shared decision making. With additional chapters that discuss advocacy issues and policy considerations when establishing CSC services and the importance of reducing the duration of untreated psychosis to optimize clinical and functional outcomes, this is the most comprehensive resource for clinicians, case workers, peer and vocational specialists, family members, and anyone else interested in expanding their knowledge of the early identification and treatment of individuals with psychotic disorders.