Written by two physicians with decades of clinical and research experience in the field, this volume helps readers face schizophrenia by understanding what it is and how it is managed. Schizophrenia is a devastating illness that affects more than two million Americans. Written to help anyone who is faced with managing schizophrenia, whether as a patient, friend, or family member, this accessible book is an ideal first stop for practical, up-to-date information. It includes an overview of schizophrenic disorder and provides answers to common questions that arise at different phases of the illness. This brief and to-the-point guide focuses on dealing with many aspects of schizophrenia-complying with treatment, managing crises, being a caregiver, communicating with the care team, and coping skills. The book also provides practical approaches to common issues, such as financial support, housing, employment, interacting with the legal system, stress management, socialization, and negative emotions. Included are useful forms, lists, and a comprehensive collection of resources to access help and information. The goal of this book is to assist patients and their loved ones to effectively face schizophrenia, achieve maximal recovery, and enjoy a good quality of life. Provides a succinct, introductory guide to getting started on the road to understanding schizophrenia Answers questions commonly asked at initial diagnosis and later, and explains facts and concepts using real-world examples and pictorial illustrations Offers practical, evidence-based, and up-to-date information Clarifies the nonmedical burdens of schizophrenia, such as loneliness, socialization, and coping with negative emotions Presents an authoritative, reliable alternative to Internet sources that contain biased or inaccurate information Helps those who are diagnosed with schizophrenia get the most out of their lives

Schizophrenia is a devastating illness that affects well over 20 million people worldwide and is one of the top ten causes of disability in developed countries. Because patients with schizophrenia are encountered in many health care provider settings, a broad range of health practitioners should to be able to recognize schizophrenia and treat it effectively. This book is for the professional trainee and early career mental health worker (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, and nurses) and is written to cover in a concise and accessible way what is of immediate and practical relevance to gain familiarity with schizophrenia.

This book was originally published in 2004 and concerns developmental neurobiology. In the decade preceding publication, developmental neurobiology made important strides towards elucidating the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Nowhere has this link between basic science and clinical insights become clearer than in the field of schizophrenia research. Each contributor to this volume provides a fresh overview of the relevant research, including directions for further investigation. The book begins with a section on advances in developmental neurobiology. This is followed by sections on etiological and pathophysiological developments, and models that integrate this knowledge. The final section addresses the clinical insights that emerge from the developmental models. This book will be valuable to researchers in psychiatry and neurobiology, students in psychology, and all mental health practitioners.

In this important 1997 book on the role of neurodevelopmental factors in the pathogenesis of the major psychiatric disorders, the fields of developmental neurobiology, clinical psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience are reviewed by an international group of experts, including many of those responsible for the ideas that have come to dominate current thinking. The first section, 'The Developing Brain', reviews neurodevelopment from the molecular to the behavioural level. Section Two, 'Development and Psychopathology', covers clinical applications of the basic principles of developmental neurobiology. The third and final section, 'Integrative Models', presents approaches toward a synthesis of neurodevelopmental and clinical findings in psychiatric disorder. For students, scientists and clinicians in psychiatry, psychology, and neurodevelopment, this is an essential reference.

Over the past decade, developmental neurobiology has made important strides towards elucidating the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Nowhere has this link between basic science and clinical insights become clearer than in the field of schizophrenia research. In this volume, the editors bring together some of the most active investigators in this field. Each contributor provides a state-of-the-art overview of the relevant research, including directions for further investigation. The book begins with a section on advances in developmental neurobiology. This is followed by sections on etiological and pathophysiological developments, and models that integrate this knowledge. The final section addresses the clinical insights that emerge from the developmental models and sets the scene for future efforts at early detection and prevention of schizophrenia. This book will be valuable to researchers in psychiatry and neurobiology, students in psychology, and all mental health practitioners.

Schizophrenia may not be a single disease, but the result of a diverse set of related conditions. Modern neuroscience is beginning to reveal some of the genetic and environmental underpinnings of schizophrenia; however, an approach less well travelled is to examine the medical disorders that produce symptoms resembling schizophrenia. This book is the first major attempt to bring together the diseases that produce what has been termed 'secondary schizophrenia'. International experts from diverse backgrounds ask the questions: does this medical disorder, or drug, or condition cause psychosis? If yes, does it resemble schizophrenia? What mechanisms form the basis of this relationship? What implications does this understanding have for aetiology and treatment? The answers are a feast for clinicians and researchers of psychosis and schizophrenia. They mark the next step in trying to meet the most important challenge to modern neuroscience - understanding and conquering this most mysterious of human diseases.