Expertly designed, the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (SCID-5-AMPD) is a semistructured diagnostic interview that guides clear assessment of the defining components of personality pathology as presented in the DSM-5 Alternative Model. The paramount tool for the use of SCID-5-AMPD, the User's Guide for the SCID-5-AMPD provides readers with an essential manual to effectively understand and use any SCID-5-AMPD module. Integrating an overview of the DSM-5 Alternative Model, this companion guide provides instructions for every SCID-5-AMPD module and features completed samples of all modules in full, with corresponding sample patient cases and commentary. The modular format of the SCID-5-AMPD allows the researcher or clinician to focus on those aspects of the Alternative Model of most interest. The User's Guide for the SCID-5-AMPD fully explicates each module-available individually or in customized sets: * Module I is devoted to the dimensional assessment of self and interpersonal functioning using the Level of Personality Functioning Scale.* Module II focuses on the dimensional assessment of the five pathological personality trait domains and corresponding 25 trait facets. * Module III is a comprehensive assessment of each of the six specific personality disorders of the DSM-5 Alternative Model, as well as Personality Disorder-Trait-Specified, and includes a global assessment of the level of personality functioning. Trained clinicians with a basic knowledge of the concepts of personality and personality psychopathology will find the SCID-5-AMPD a valuable tool in the assessment and study of personality disorders.

QuickSCID-5 is a fully structured diagnostic instrument that employs interview questions adapted from the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5), widely regarded to be the "gold standard" structured psychiatric diagnostic interview since the initial release of SCID in 1985. The impetus for developing the QuickSCID-5 was to create a briefer, more time-efficient version of the SCID designed to be administered usually in 30 minutes or less. The shorter administration time results from the fact that QuickSCID-5 consists almost entirely of closed-ended questions that can be answered "YES" or "NO" by the patient, dispensing with the requirement in the standard SCID that the interviewer elicit descriptive examples and ask enough follow-up questions until the interviewer has enough information to determine whether the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria are met. Consequently, unlike the standard SCID, which requires the interviewer to have specialized training in diagnostic interviewing, QuickSCID can be administered by any clinician, including those in training. Other features include a visually appealing format and easy to follow skip instructions. QuickSCID has a modular design so that only modules of interest need be administered. Modules include an optional Overview, Module A (Mood Episodes and Disorders), Module B (Psychotic Symptoms Screen), Module C (Alcohol and Other Substance Use Disorders), Module D (Anxiety Disorders), Module E (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder); Module F (Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), Module G (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), Module H (Eating Disorders), Module I (Screening for Other Disorders), and Module J (Rule Out Mental Disorders Due to a Medical Condition and Substance/Medication-induced Mental Disorders). In recognition of the fact that it is not recommended to make a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia using questions that can only be answered "YES" or "NO," QuickSCID-5 only screens for psychotic symptoms and is not intended to be used to diagnose psychotic disorders. These diagnoses are not included in QuickSCID-5. Although the absence of a requirement for the interviewer to elicit descriptive examples may lead to more false positives than the standard SCID, the savings in administration time and its allowance for it to be administered by less trained interviewers can constitute a reasonable trade-off depending on the setting (e.g., for screening patients for the presence of a mental disorder). Purchase includes a license to photocopy for private clinical assessment use, up to 200 total copies per customer.

The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders (SCID-5-PD) is a semistructured diagnostic interview for clinicians and researchers to assess the 10 DSM-5 Personality Disorders across Clusters A, B, and C as well as Other Specified Personality Disorder. Designed to build rapport, the SCID-5-PD can be used to make personality disorder diagnoses, either categorically (present or absent) or dimensionally. The SCID-5-PD includes interview and the handy self-report screening questionnaire for patients or subjects, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Screening Personality Questionnaire (SCID-5-SPQ). The SCID-5-PD is the updated version of the former Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders (SCID-II). The SCID-5-PD name reflects the elimination of the multiaxial system in DSM-5. Although the DSM-IV Personality Disorder criteria are unchanged in DSM-5, the SCID-5-PD interview questions have been thoroughly reviewed and revised to optimally capture the construct embodied in the diagnostic criteria. In addition, a dimensional scoring component has been added to the SCID-5-PD. The basic structure of the SCID-5-PD is similar to the other SCID-5 interviews (such as the Research Version, SCID-5-RV; and the Clinician Version, SCID-5-CV) that cover non-personality DSM-5 disorders. Features include the following: * Questions assessing the DSM-5 criteria for each of the 10 personality disorders: Avoidant Personality Disorder, Dependent Personality Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, Paranoid Personality Disorder, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, Schizoid Personality Disorder, Histrionic Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Antisocial Personality Disorder.* An optional SCID-5-SPQ that serves as a brief, 20-minute self-report screening tool to reduce the time of the SCID-5-PD clinical interview. The SCID-5-SPQ requires an eighth grade or higher reading level (as determined by the Flesch-Kincaid formula). Its 106 questions correspond directly to each first question in the full SCID-5-PD. The SCID-5-PD can be used in various types of research studies, just as the SCID-II. It has been used to investigate patterns of Personality Disorders co-occurring with other mental disorders or medical conditions; select a group of study subjects with a particular Personality Disorder; investigate the underlying structure of personality pathology; and compare with other assessment methods for Personality Disorders. The SCID-5-PD will serve as a valuable resource to help clinicians and researchers more accurately diagnose Personality Disorders.

The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 -Clinician Version (SCID-5-CV) guides the clinician step-by-step through the DSM-5 diagnostic process. Interview questions are provided conveniently along each corresponding DSM-5 criterion, which aids in rating each as either present or absent. The SCID-5-CV is an abridged and reformatted version of the Research Version of the SCID, the structured diagnostic interview most widely used by researchers for making DSM diagnoses for the past 30 years. A unique and valuable tool, the SCID-5-CV covers the DSM-5 diagnoses most commonly seen in clinical settings: depressive and bipolar disorders; schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders; substance use disorders; anxiety disorders (panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder); obsessive-compulsive disorder; posttraumatic stress disorder; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; and adjustment disorder. It also screens for 17 additional DSM-5 disorders. Versatile in function, the SCID-5-CV can be used in a variety of ways. For example, it can ensure that all of the major DSM-5 diagnoses are systematically evaluated in adults; characterize a study population in terms of current psychiatric diagnoses; and improve interviewing skills of students in the mental health professions, including psychiatry, psychology, psychiatric social work, and psychiatric nursing. Enhancing the reliability and validity of DSM-5 diagnostic assessments, the SCID-5-CV will serve as an indispensible interview guide.

With at least one case presentation for each of the mental disorders catalogued in DSM-5-and multiple cases for nearly half of the disorders-Learning DSM-5 by Case Example has been meticulously designed to aid practitioners and students of all levels in psychology, psychiatry, social work, counseling, and psychiatric nursing develop internalized prototypes of DSM-5 disorders by first describing each disorder in relatable terms and subsequently illustrating how these symptom constellations manifest in real-life settings using clinical case material. The nearly 200 cases featured in this guide are drawn from the clinical experience of well over 100 clinicians, many of whom are well-known experts in particular areas of diagnosis and treatment. Sensitive to the fact that one of the hallmarks of mental disorders is the wide range of presentations that are encountered in a real-world setting, many of the disorders described include multiple cases that vary in symptom presentation, gender, age, clinical course, associated impairment in psychosocial functioning, and developmental factors, thus giving readers an appreciation for the heterogeneity typical of these disorders. Each case is complemented by a discussion that elaborates the ways in which the case conforms to the DSM-5 prototype or highlights those features of the case that illustrate the heterogeneity. With definitions of potentially unfamiliar medical and psychiatric terms, Learning DSM-5 by Case Example is an accessible resource for readers of all disciplines. And because it guides the reader through the organizational structure of DSM-5, it is also an ideal reference for courses on psychopathology or abnormal psychology.

Written to help identify major gaps in our knowledge of how gender and age affect psychiatric diagnoses and to stimulate much-needed research to fill these gaps, Age and Gender Considerations in Psychiatric Diagnosis serves as both a valuable short-term source for the DSM-V Task Force and its disorder-specific workgroups, and a long-term guide for future studies that will contribute to revised psychiatric classifications in these three areas.

Here, 47 experts present findings in three areas of psychiatric research that historically have been neglected but rightfully have received increasing attention in recent years and thus are worthy of investigation into their clinical features, etiology, and course:

1. Significant gender differences in prevalence, symptom profiles, and risk factors for mental disorders, including neurodevelopmental, neurophysiological, and environmental factors for men and women that cut across diagnostic categories-for example, the critical importance of gender in how psychiatric illness develops and presents; DSM's approach to gender to date; and relevant research findings and gaps in the epidemiology, etiology, and pathophysiology of disorders and the gender-related expression of psychopathology, including the controversial and complex question of whether DSM should have different diagnostic criteria for men and women.

2. Mental disorders in infancy and early childhood, including diagnosis and measurement of psychopathology; PTSD and social and cognitive factors related to the experience of stress; reactive attachment disorder (unique in part because of its specificity to early childhood); mood and anxiety disorders and difficulties in diagnosis; sleep disorders, including two new disorders, Night-Waking Dysomnia and Sleep-Onset Dysomnia; feeding disorders, including the need to address overeating and overfeeding (especially given the alleged U.S. epidemic of obesity); early childhood manifestations of behavior disorders; and early symptoms and diagnosis of autism.

3. Mental disorders in the elderly, such as dementia and depression, once considered normal consequences of aging but now understood to represent mental disorders, including the need to identify specific brain structure abnormalities, biomarkers, and the many contributing biological, psychosocial, and environmental factors of mental illness in late life and to understand their roles in the elderly to better diagnose and monitor disease progression.

Written for clinicians and researchers alike, this thought-provoking compendium contributes critical information that helps enhance our understanding of the causes of mental disorders, develop effective preventive and treatment interventions, and inform future editions of DSM and ICD.

Seeking to integrate the large volume of clinical research on relational processes and mental health disorders with other scientific advances in psychiatry, Relational Processes and DSM-V builds on exciting advances in clinical research on troubled relationships. These advances included marked improvements in the assessment and epidemiology of troubled relationships as well the use of genetics, neuroscience, and immunology to explore the importance of close relationships in clinical practice. Advances in family-based intervention, and prevention are also highlighted to help practitioners and researchers find common ground and begin an empirically based discussion about the best way to revise the DSM. Given the overwhelming research showing that relationships play a role in regulating neurobiology and genetic expression and are critical for understanding schizophrenia, conduct disorder, and depression among other disorders, relational processes must be a part of any empirically based plan for revising psychiatric nosology in DSM-V.

The chapters in this book counter the perspective that we can safely discard the biopsychosocial model that has guided psychiatry in the past. The contributors examine the relevance of close relationships in such issues as the basic psychopathology of mental disorders, factors influencing maintenance and relapse, sources of burden for family members, and guiding family-based interventions. By tying relational processes to basic research on psychopathology, they demonstrate the value of integrating basic behavioral and brain research with a sophisticated understanding of the self-organizing and self-sustaining characteristics of relationships. Coverage includes: - research linking relational processes to neuroscience, neurobiology, health outcomes, intervention research, prevention research, and genetics- consideration of specific circumstances, such as promoting healthy parenting following divorce and relational processes in depressed Latino adolescents- optimal approaches to the assessment of relational processes with clinical significance, such as child abuse, partner abuse, and expressed emotion.- a simple introduction to the methodology of taxometrics, offering insight into whether key relational processes are distinct categories or continuously distributed variables- an overview of the links between relational processes and psychiatric outcomes, providing a theoretical foundation for the discussion of links to psychopathology

Together, these contributions seek to develop a shared commitment among clinicians, researchers, and psychopathologists to take seriously the issue of relational processes as they relate to diagnoses within DSM-and to encourage mental health care workers at all levels to harness the generative and healing properties of intimate relationships and make them a focus of clinical practice. It is a book that will prove useful to all who are interested in integrating greater sensitivity to relational processes in their work.

In clinical settings clinicians continue to underutilize interviews and rating scales because their benefits are underappreciated and their use is perceived as too costly and time consuming. Augmenting the broad information contained in the APA's Handbook of Psychiatric Measures, this in-depth guide examines the real-world issues involved in implementing measures in actual clinical settings. This book - Asserts that the use of structured diagnostic interviews in clinical settings is justified, suggesting that it would be most cost-effective to target research assessment toward those groups most difficult to evaluate and most likely to be misdiagnosed, especially those whose misdiagnosis leads to consumption of a greater-than-expected amount of treatment resources- Focuses on the underrecognition and underreporting of diagnostic comorbidity, discussing the daunting practical issues of using comprehensive structured interviews and suggesting instead that a self-administered questionnaire be used to screen for the most common DSM-IV Axis I disorders- Considers the use of structured interviews-administered by either lay interviewers or by computer-in the diagnostic assessment of children and adolescents, making a case that using the research model (i.e., reliable measures that can be given to large numbers of subjects) in clinical settings meets the cost-efficiency requirements of understaffed clinical providers- Discusses the utility and limitations of research instruments for crucially important clinical purposes-determining suicide risk-and presents the inherent difficulties in predicting risk and explore the underlying clinical risk factors based on their proposed stress-diathesis model- Presents the issues and challenges involved in the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) attempt to implement a national program requiring the routine use of the GAF scale. The authors conclude with a discussion of the reasons why the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale was chosen, software and procedures, methods to ensure system compliance, and the specific measures taken by two VA networks that helped improve its implementation

It is a groundbreaking guide that details the pros and cons of using structured interviews and rating scales in clinical settings to ensure reliable and valid assessment of diagnoses, symptoms, and outcomes.

In the ongoing quest to improve our psychiatric diagnostic system, we are now searching for new approaches to understanding the etiological and pathophysiological mechanisms that can improve the validity of our diagnoses and the consequent power of our preventive and treatment interventions -- venturing beyond the current DSM paradigm and DSM-IV framework.

This thought-provoking volume -- produced as a partnership between the American Psychiatric Association, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse -- represents a far-reaching attempt to stimulate research and discussion in the field in preparation for the eventual start of the DSM-V process, still several years hence. The book - Explores a variety of basic nomenclature issues, including the desirability of rating the quality and quantity of information available to support the different disorders in the DSM in order to indicate the disparity of empirical support across the diagnostic system.

- Offers a neuroscience research agenda to guide development of a pathophysiologically based classification for DSM-V, which reviews genetic, brain imaging, postmortem, and animal model research and includes strategic insights for a new research agenda.

- Presents highlights of recent progress in developmental neuroscience, genetics, psychology, psychopathology, and epidemiology, using a bioecological perspective to focus on the first two decades of life, when rapid changes in behavior, emotion and cognition occur.

- Discusses how to address two important gaps in the current DSM-IV: (1) the categorical method of diagnosing personality disorders and their relationship with Axis I disorders, and (2) the limited provision for the diagnosis of relational disorders -- suggesting a research agenda for personality disorders that considers replacing the current categorical approach with a dimensional classification of personality.

- Reevaluates the relationship between mental disorders and disability, asserting that research into disability and impairment would benefit from the diagnosis of mental disorders be uncoupled from a requirement for impairment or disability to foster a more vigorous research agenda on the etiologies, courses, and treatment of mental disorders as well as disabilities and to avert unintended consequences of delayed diagnosis and treatment.

- Examines the importance of culture in psychopathology and the main cultural variables at play in the diagnostic process, stating that training present and future professionals in the need to include cultural factors in the diagnostic process is a logical step in any attempt to develop comprehensive research programs in psychology, psychiatry, and related disciplines.

This fascinating work, with contributions from an international group of research investigators, reaches into the core of psychiatry, providing invaluable background and insights for all psychology and psychiatry professionals -- food for thought and further research that will be relevant for years to come.

Expertly designed, the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (SCID-5-AMPD) is a semistructured diagnostic interview that guides clear assessment of the defining components of personality pathology as presented in the DSM-5 Alternative Model. The modular format of the SCID-5-AMPD allows the researcher or clinician to focus on those aspects of the Alternative Model of most interest. Module III: Structured Clinical Interview for Personality Disorders (Including Personality Disorder–Trait Specified) provides a comprehensive assessment of each of the six specific personality disorders of the Alternative Model. It features clear guidance through the new diagnosis of Personality Disorder–Trait-Specified and elucidates when this diagnosis is applicable. The module concludes with a global assessment of the level of personality functioning and includes a survey of all the personality disorder diagnoses in the module. Module III can be used independently or in combination with any of the following SCID-5-AMPD modules: • Module I dimensionally assesses self and interpersonal functioning using the Level of Personality Functioning Scale. • Module II dimensionally assesses the five pathological personality trait domains and their corresponding 25 trait facets. Also available is the User's Guide for the SCID-5-AMPD: the essential tool for the effective use of any SCID-5-AMPD module. This companion guide provides instructions for each SCID-5-AMPD module and features completed samples of all modules in full, with corresponding sample patient cases and commentary. Trained clinicians with a basic knowledge of the concepts of personality and personality psychopathology will benefit from the myriad applications and insights offered by the SCID-5-AMPD.

The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders-Clinician Version (SCID-5-CV) guides the clinician step-by-step through the DSM-5 diagnostic process. Interview questions are provided conveniently along each corresponding DSM-5 criterion, which aids in rating each as either present or absent. A unique and valuable tool, the SCID-5-CV covers the DSM-5 diagnoses most commonly seen in clinical settings. The User's Guide for the SCID-5-CV provides comprehensive instructions on how to use the SCID-5-CV effectively and accurately. It not only describes the rationale, structure, conventions, and usage of the SCID-5-CV, but also discusses in detail how to interpret and apply the specific DSM-5 criteria for each of the disorders included in the SCID-5-CV. A number of sample role-play and homework cases are also included to help clinicians learn how to use the SCID-5-CV. Together with the SCID-5-CV, the User's Guide for the SCID-5-CV will prove invaluable to clinicians, researchers, interviewers, and students in the mental health professions who seek to integrate time-tested interview questions corresponding to the DSM-5 criteria into their DSM-5 diagnostic assessment process.

The Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (SCID-5-AMPD) meets a timely need. The Alternative Model for Personality Disorders in DSM-5 has ushered in a consensus and an upswing in research that has shifted from a categorical diagnosis of personality disorders toward a dimensional approach. Before now, no interview-based procedure has been available for applying the Alternative Model. Expertly designed, the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (SCID-5-AMPD) is a semistructured diagnostic interview that guides clear assessment of the defining components of personality pathology as presented in the DSM-5 Alternative Model. The modular format of the SCID-5-AMPD allows the researcher or clinician to focus on those aspects of the Alternative Model of most interest. Module I: Structured Clinical Interview for the Level of Personality Functioning Scale is devoted to the linchpin of dimensional assessment—self and interpersonal functioning—using the Level of Personality Functioning Scale. Module I provides both a global functioning score and an innovative, detailed assessment of all four domains of functioning (Identity, Self-Direction, Empathy, and Intimacy) and their corresponding subdomains. Module I can be used independently or in combination with any of the following SCID-5-AMPD modules: • Module II dimensionally assesses the five pathological personality trait domains and their corresponding 25 trait facets. • Module III comprehensively assesses each of the six specific personality disorders of the Alternative Model, as well as Personality Disorder–Trait-Specified. Also available is the User's Guide for the SCID-5-AMPD: the essential tool for the effective use of any SCID-5-AMPD module. This companion guide provides instructions for each SCID-5-AMPD module and features completed samples of all modules in full, with corresponding sample patient cases and commentary. Trained clinicians with a basic knowledge of the concepts of personality and personality psychopathology will benefit from the myriad applications and insights offered by the SCID-5-AMPD.

Expertly designed, the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (SCID-5-AMPD) is a semistructured diagnostic interview that guides clear assessment of the defining components of personality pathology as presented in the DSM-5 Alternative Model. The modular format of the SCID-5-AMPD allows the researcher or clinician to focus on those aspects of the Alternative Model of most interest. Module II: Structured Clinical Interview for Personality Traits focuses on the dimensional assessment of the five pathological personality trait domains in the Alternative Model and their corresponding 25 trait facets. This comprehensive review of the trait domains (Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism) identifies multiple areas of personality variation and provides a visual profile of trait facets across the trait domains. Module II can be used independently or in combination with any of the following SCID-5-AMPD modules: • Module I dimensionally assesses self and interpersonal functioning using the Level of Personality Functioning Scale. • Module III comprehensively assesses each of the six specific personality disorders of the Alternative Model, as well as Personality Disorder–Trait-Specified. Also available is the User's Guide for the SCID-5-AMPD: the essential tool for the effective use of any SCID-5-AMPD module. This companion guide provides instructions for each SCID-5-AMPD module and features completed samples of all modules in full, with corresponding sample patient cases and commentary. Trained clinicians with a basic knowledge of the concepts of personality and personality psychopathology will benefit from the myriad applications and insights offered by the SCID-5-AMPD.

The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders (SCID-5-PD) is a semistructured diagnostic interview for clinicians and researchers to assess the 10 DSM-5 Personality Disorders across Clusters A, B, and C as well as Other Specified Personality Disorder. Designed to build rapport, the SCID-5-PD can be used to make personality disorder diagnoses, either categorically (present or absent) or dimensionally. The SCID-5-PD includes the indispensable User's Guide for the SCID-5-PD, as well as a handy self-report screening questionnaire for patients or subjects, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Screening Personality Questionnaire (SCID-5-SPQ). The SCID-5-PD is the updated version of the former Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders (SCID-II). The SCID-5-PD name reflects the elimination of the multiaxial system in DSM-5. Although the DSM-IV Personality Disorder criteria are unchanged in DSM-5, the SCID-5-PD interview questions have been thoroughly reviewed and revised to optimally capture the construct embodied in the diagnostic criteria. In addition, a dimensional scoring component has been added to the SCID-5-PD. The basic structure of the SCID-5-PD is similar to the other SCID-5 interviews (such as the Research Version, SCID-5-RV; and the Clinician Version, SCID-5-CV) that cover non-personality DSM-5 disorders. Features include the following: * Questions assessing the DSM-5 criteria for each of the 10 personality disorders: Avoidant Personality Disorder, Dependent Personality Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, Paranoid Personality Disorder, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, Schizoid Personality Disorder, Histrionic Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Antisocial Personality Disorder.* A User's Guide for the SCID-5-PD containing essential guidance for use of the SCID-5-PD, including an appendix of a completed SCID-5-PD and SCID-5-SPQ for a sample patient.* An optional SCID-5-SPQ that serves as a brief, 20-minute self-report screening tool to reduce the time of the SCID-5-PD clinical interview. The SCID-5-SPQ requires an eighth grade or higher reading level (as determined by the Flesch-Kincaid formula). Its 106 questions correspond directly to each first question in the full SCID-5-PD. The SCID-5-PD can be used in various types of research studies, just as the SCID-II. It has been used to investigate patterns of Personality Disorders co-occurring with other mental disorders or medical conditions; select a group of study subjects with a particular Personality Disorder; investigate the underlying structure of personality pathology; and compare with other assessment methods for Personality Disorders. The SCID-5-PD will serve as a valuable resource to help clinicians and researchers more accurately diagnose Personality Disorders.

We all have times when we're feeling down, anxious, over the top, or on edge. Or times when we can't sleep, feel spaced out or disconnected from things, can't remember names or faces, can't get over past traumas.

Problems like these are often a common and normal part of the aches and pains of everyday life. However, if these problems last long enough, are severe enough, or interfere with work or relationships, it may mean that you or someone you care about has a diagnosable and treatable disorder.

Written by the same doctors who led the effort to produce the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) -- the reference text used by the majority of mental health professionals -- Am I Okay? is a thorough, completely authoritative guide designed to help people identify whether or not they have a psychiatric condition as early as possible.

Am I Okay? also includes the following features:

* "Twenty Questions to Get You Started": a diagnostic screening questionnaire that covers most known psychiatric problems

* Detailed chapters on a range of mental health issues, from Depression, Personality Disorders, and Alcohol and Substance Abuse to Anxiety, Dissociative Experiences, and more

* Information about national organizations, support groups, and other sources of help, as well as suggested readings for more information