As more patients seek information about family risks of psychiatric illness -- an interest likely to increase as gene-identification studies are publicized -- most psychiatrists agree it is their role to discuss these issues but admit they are ill-prepared to do so. Psychiatric Genetics addresses that need as the first book to focus on clinical applications of genetics in psychiatry. It covers issues involved in genetic counseling, the interpretation of familial and genetic information for clinical use, information regarding risks associated with specific psychiatric disorders, risk/benefit considerations related to medication use during pregnancy, and the ethical and social implications of psychiatric genetic knowledge and research -- including the prospects for genetic testing.

While other books have been written for the genetics community, this volume is addressed to practitioners: a clinically relevant resource that can help them understand the often bewildering flood of information about genetics -- information difficult to interpret, let alone integrate into practice -- and enable them to respond to patients' requests to predict the risk of recurrence of psychiatric illness or provide information about reproductive and pregnancy-related issues. Experts from psychiatry, genetic epidemiology, molecular genetics, genetic counseling, cognitive psychology, and ethics focus on issues that have received little attention elsewhere yet are of increasing importance to clinicians. Written at a level that assumes no particular expertise in genetics, the book features these immediately applicable benefits: - It offers a framework for understanding and critically evaluating the psychiatric genetic research literature, enabling clinicians to better understand the meaning and limitations of genetic discoveries when patients raise questions about media reports. - It provides a resource for clinicians who would like more information about the role and content of genetic counseling, outlining a typical counseling session while demonstrating how risks are estimated and discussed.- It summarizes genetic aspects of major psychiatric conditions -- from childhood-onset disorders through psychotic, mood, and anxiety disorders to dementia -- as well as neuropsychiatric manifestations of other genetic disorders.- It alerts clinicians to risk/benefit considerations related to medication use during pregnancy.- It covers the ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic research and counseling, illustrating the dilemmas that arise with new advances. Whether used as a clinical guide, reference, or ancillary text, this book sets the standard for the application of psychiatric genetic knowledge in everyday practice. Psychiatrists, mental health clinicians, and genetic counselors will find it an essential resource for all patient encounters in which genetic issues arise.

Leading and internationally recognized researchers review what is known about the liability to schizophrenia, how it progresses, what it looks like clinically-with an emphasis on a specific (proposed) syndrome of liability (schizotaxia)-and how best it might be treated now and in the near future. The authors summarize the latest findings on the genetic, early environmental, and neurodevelopmental origins of schizophrenia.

Recognizing that favorable clinical outcomes are associated with earlier initiation of treatment -- and even more ideally with prevention -- this volume addresses the current status of early intervention in, and prevention of, major mental and substance use disorders. A team of distinguished participants addresses this problem at many levels -- from the DNA molecule to public policy -- in order to show how prevention efforts should be informed by a better understanding of etiology and by a knowledge of indicators of vulnerability.

In considering the current standing of etiological knowledge, Recognition and Prevention of Major Mental and Substance Use Disorders addresses issues that are critical precursors to the prevention of mental disorders and offers an understanding of factors that contribute to the disorders' development. The contributors review genetic methodologies and current findings in mental disorders, with an emphasis on schizophrenia, and then show how biological and psychosocial environmental variables may affect vulnerability. Chapters devoted specifically to lessons in prevention drawn from recent research into schizophrenia discuss the implications of prodromal studies and relationships between stress, critical periods, and the development of the disorder. The book includes contributions from NIH representatives on how basic scientific understanding of mental disorders can be translated into public policy. It also features chapters that describe cutting-edge projects in prevention research for Alzheimer's disease, drug dependence, antisocial behavior, and posttraumatic stress disorder -- each providing compelling accounts of how existing knowledge can be adapted to promising prevention efforts. Among the volume's contributions: - New data on the role of substance abuse -- particularly marijuana and psychostimulants -- in increasing vulnerability to schizophrenia- Review of vulnerability factors for several relevant disorders, examining stress and its concomitant psychobiological responses and the contribution of cognitive factors to vulnerability to depression- Intriguing approach for translating successful treatment methods for schizophrenia into efforts to prevent the transition from the prodrome of the disorder to the full-blown illness- Program for prevention of antisocial behavior that can be implemented as early as the first grade- Secondary prevention efforts for posttraumatic stress disorder, with a focus on pharmacological interventions

Each chapter reviews clinical implications of the research presented, contributing to a volume that will benefit clinicians and researchers who share the goal of preventing these debilitating conditions. This multidimensional, interdisciplinary work represents a major step toward cutting the social costs of these disorders -- and, more important, their untold cost in human suffering.

Schizophrenia is one of the most traumatic psychiatric disorders, both for the affected person and their family. It also carries an unfortunate stigma and suffers from frequent misinterpretation by the popular media. The disorder usually manifests itself through significant periods of hallucinations, bizarre delusions, and disorganized behaviour, but the individuals who suffer from this brain disorder are not generally violent, and do have periods of remission. However it is often difficult for these individuals to maintain a regular lifestyle and relationships at home and at work, and many individuals with schizophrenia end up unable to live independently or, worse, homeless. This new edition in the popular Facts series provides a concise and up-to-date account of the underlying causes and symptoms of schizophrenia, as well as current theories about the disorder. The authors look at all the current treatment options, both medical and psychological, together with likely side-effects and the problem of compliance with treatment. The role of the family and the community in caring for individuals with schizophrenia is also considered. The authors are experienced psychiatrists and psychologists with many years' experience in the treatment and study of schizophrenia. This book will provide a welcome source of information for individuals with schizophrenia, their family members, and those involved in caring for them.