The science of the etiology and treatment of alcohol has made notable progress in recent years. Since the early 1970s there have been growing in-roads made concerning the relevance of hereditary factors in alcoholism. This has led to the presentation of various innovative hypotheses in this field. In conjunction with this there has been much discussion and study of the "alcoholic personality" and its possible characteristics. These may be considered the "longitudinal aspects" linked to the transmission of alcoholism.

The 4th International Symposium of the Psychiatric Research Institute of Tokyo brought together clinicians and scientists from around the world to present their work in the highly complex area of alcoholism and the family. Culled from the symposium, the papers that appear here underscore both the level of sophistication that alcoholism-related research has achieved over the last several decades and the diversity of perspectives apparent on any given component. Divided into 5 parts - Genetic Factors of Alcoholism, Clinical Aspects, Alcoholic Families and Mental Health, Alcoholism and Family Models and Therapeutic Approaches to the Alcoholic Family - the book provides a mix of often divergent views. There are some chapters that highlight biological aspects of the impact of alcoholism on family structure, whereas others demonstrate how cultural and related social factors influence the development and course of alcoholism and how the disorder changes interactions within the family.

Mark Schuckit s Drug and Alcohol Abuse has been a clinical mainstay for over a quarter century. Now the author s trusted expertise is available in a new Sixth Edition, thoroughly revised for content, updated references, and streamlined for increased usefulness.

Schuckit combines his experience as practitioner, researcher, and teacher to give professionals and students across the health and mental health disciplines a working knowledge of drug-related pathology, beginning with pharmacology, drug mechanisms, and genetic factors. And the Sixth Edition is as accessible as its predecessors, striking the right comfort level for the classroom or the emergency room.

-Clinical/emergency orientation suited to both chronic misuse and acute situations

-Coverage reflects current trends in alcohol, drug, and multidrug use, abuse, and dependence

-Concise chapters for quick reference

-Updated bibliography approximately 80% of citations are post-2000

-Diagnostic information reflects upcoming changes to the DSM

-Latest strategies in treatment (psychological and pharmacological) and rehabilitation

All material is organized for ease of use, whether the reader needs fast answers in a crisis, seeks new ideas for helping long-term patients or clients, or is just becoming familiar with the different drug classifications. This new edition offers expanded knowledge of a wide-ranging problem and a growing and clinically important population, and authoritative suggestions for effective care."

Mark Schuckita (TM)s Drug and Alcohol Abuse has been a clinical mainstay for over a quarter century. Now the authora (TM)s trusted expertise is available in a new Sixth Edition, thoroughly revised for content, updated references, and streamlined for increased usefulness.

Schuckit combines his experience as practitioner, researcher, and teacher to give professionals and students across the health and mental health disciplines a working knowledge of drug-related pathology, beginning with pharmacology, drug mechanisms, and genetic factors. And the Sixth Edition is as accessible as its predecessors, striking the right comfort level for the classroom or the emergency room.

-Clinical/emergency orientation suited to both chronic misuse and acute situations

-Coverage reflects current trends in alcohol, drug, and multidrug use, abuse, and dependence

-Concise chapters for quick reference

-Updated bibliographya "approximately 80% of citations are post-2000

-Diagnostic information reflects upcoming changes to the DSM

-Latest strategies in treatment (psychological and pharmacological) and rehabilitation

All material is organized for ease of use, whether the reader needs fast answers in a crisis, seeks new ideas for helping long-term patients or clients, or is just becoming familiar with the different drug classifications. This new edition offers expanded knowledge of a wide-ranging problem and a growing and clinically important population, and authoritative suggestions for effective care.

Inviting the help of colleagues worldwide, the concise Diagnostic Issues in Substance Use Disorders is part of the new series Advancing the Research Agenda for DSM-V. Its 19 chapters by an international group of experts are designed to stimulate questions that will help guide research related to the development of the next editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), with the goal of ensuring that the major substance use diagnoses represent the same condition in both references. They cover 10 major issues in three main sections: - Overarching issues relevant for the development of international diagnostic systems -- statistical modeling techniques and whether DSM-V should use categorical and/or dimensional diagnostic approaches; methods review, emphasizing new hybrid techniques for developing and testing diagnostic concepts; the need for separate clinical and research-oriented diagnostic criteria, incorporating both categorical and dimensional attributes; neurobiological changes characterizing substance dependence; the importance of cultural attributes in developing definitions of substance use disorders; and the history of the development of diagnostic systems and how to optimize the "crosswalk" between DSM and ICD.- Research questions more specific to the substance use disorders section of DSM -- comorbidity between substance use disorders and other psychiatric conditions, the relatively unique clinical course of substance-induced mental disorders and appropriate treatment approaches; the precision of the criteria and threshold for a diagnosis and how to improve them; the subtypes of substance use disorder, including how they have been derived and the extent to which they relate to neurobiological processes; the seemingly high prevalence of alcohol dependence in young people; suggested research questions to evaluate the application of diagnostic criteria to adolescents; and the specific psychoactive substances cannabis and nicotine.- Whether substance use disorders should be included in a broader section termed "addictive disorders" -- impulse-control disorders (especially pathological gambling and the advantages and disadvantages of adding it to the current substance use disorders section), identifying research opportunities regarding their assessment and neurocognitive and physiological bases, discussing the specifics of the research agenda and how it might be implemented, and presenting questions generated by the research agenda developmental process.

This informative compendium distills the findings of a wealth of recent research and concludes with recommendations for exploiting research opportunities that promise to inform decisions regarding DSM-V and other classification systems. As such, it will prove invaluable for clinicians and researchers everywhere.

When this series was conceived, a book on substance abuse, including alcohol and alcoholism, was to be of the highest priority. This priority was a reflection of my view that the subject is often inadequately or insufficient ly taught in many training programs. Few clinicians have had comprehen sive didactic education in this area, despite the frequency with which these problems are encountered in practice. All too often these encounters are in situations in which accurate diagnosis and rapid treatment are of critical im portance. We wanted a book that would be concise and easily readable but also comprehensive in its presentation of the basic principles underlying clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management. It was of particular im portance that the book also serve as an easy reference guide in emergency situations. Marc Schuckit, a man with impeccable credentials as a scholar and an experienced clinician in this field, produced just such a book with his critically acclaimed first edition. That volume rapidly became a resource of great significance for psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and physicians in general. It has been adopted as a text in medical schools and residency train ing, as well as for courses in psychology, emergency medicine, social work, and nursing. The entire volume has been revised and updated to reflect changes in knowledge and clinical practice since the publication of the first edition and in order to keep the comprehensive references current. There is a new chapter on phencyclidine and another on caffeine and nicotine."