In this companion volume to their widely acclaimed Perspectives of Psychiatry, Phillip R. Slavney, M.D., and Paul R. McHugh, M.D., argue that the discontinuity of brain and mind is the source of much of psychiatry's discord, for it leads psychiatrists to think about their discipline in terms of polar opposites: conscious or unconscious; explanation or understanding; paternalism or autonomy. Psychiatric Polarities brings together the history of ideas and such clinical issues as suicide and bipolar disorder to identify, describe, and debate these and other polar oppositions that arise from psychiatry's inherent ambiguity. There is no single conceptual perspective that is sufficient for all of psychiatry's concerns, Slavney and McHugh observe, yet it is both possible and necessary to transcend the denominational conflicts that plague the field. In Psychiatric Polarities, their examination of these conflicts demonstrates how a methodological approach can help to resolve disagreements rooted in partisan commitments.

Substantially revised to include a wealth of new material, the second edition of this highly acclaimed work provides a concise, coherent introduction that brings structure to an increasingly fragmented and amorphous discipline. Paul R. McHugh and Phillip R. Slavney offer an approach that emphasizes psychiatry's unifying concepts while accommodating its diversity. Recognizing that there may never be a single, all-encompassing theory, the book distills psychiatric practice into four explanatory methods: diseases, dimensions of personality, goal-directed behaviors, and life stories. These perspectives, argue the authors, underlie the principles and practice of all psychiatry. With an understanding of these fundamental methods, readers will be equipped to organize and evaluate psychiatric information and to develop a confident approach to practice and research.

stematiker apostrophiert, deren Leistungen bestenfalls als uberholt angese- hen werden, nicht selten jedoch auch als Hemmschuh fur die neuen Seh- weisen einer psychodynamischen Psychiatrie mit tiefen psychologischen Theorien, Lehranalysen, Selbsterfahrungsgruppen u. a. m. Unberucksichtigt bleibt dabei meist, dass viele der neuen Lehren trotz der Betonung von Be- griffen wie "Seele" oder "psychisch" im Grunde nur maskierte Formen einer modischen identitatstheoretischen Philosophie materialistischer Couleur darstellen (Koehler 1984). Gewiss ist gegen eine psychodynamische Ausbildung des psychiatri- schen Nachwuchses wenig einzuwenden, sofern eine Verabsolutierung des gewahlten Standpunktes vermieden wird. Leider stellen die zweifellos erfor- derlichen tiefen psychologischen Aspekte noch keinen selbstverstandlichen Teil einer integralen psychiatrischen Ausbildung an den deutschen Klini- ken dar, in denen der junge Assistenzarzt sein diagnostisches und therapeu- tisches Wissen erwirbt (Mombour 1984). Deshalb sieht er sich fast uberall gezwungen, unter zum Teil erheblichen Schwierigkeiten seinen Zusatztitel fur Psychotherapie "ausser Haus" zu erwerben. Dessen schwere Zugang- lichkeit, die vor allem institutionell bedingt ist, mag zur Tendenz beitragen, dass die psychodynamische Sehweise eine herausgehobene Position erhalt und in der Vorstellung gerade der psychiatrischen Anfanger leicht zum do- minierenden Denkansatz gerat.

Many psychiatry residents and other mental health trainees begin their careers as psychotherapists with a mixture of enthusiasm and apprehension: enthusiasm at the prospect of using only words and actions to help someone in distress; apprehension about whether they are capable of doing it. In his latest book, Phillip R. Slavney helps these students get started by discussing such fundamental issues as what makes psychotherapy work, what is important in a psychotherapeutic relationship, and whether psychotherapists should have their own psychotherapy. Slavney draws on his long experience as a psychotherapist and teacher of psychotherapy in a confidence-building book that is both practical and scholarly.

Psychiatric Aspects of Neurologic Diseases: Practical Approaches to Patient Care is targeted at neurologists, psychiatrists, and other physicians who care for patients with the most common neurologic diseases ranging from Alzheimer's to stroke to headaches to multiple sclerosis to epilepsy. The book provides a practical approach to the evaluation and treatment of the psychiatric conditions that affect the vast majority of these patients and are as disabling as the neurologic symptoms. Drawing from the collective wisdom and clinical expertise of the faculty of the Johns Hopkins Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, one of the largest and most well known faculties in this specialized field, the book provides a wealth of useful clinical information for physicians who care for these patients. The volume is divided into three parts: the first part (2 chapters) provides a detailed approach to the evaluation and differential diagnosis of the neurologic patient with psychiatric symptoms followed by a discussion of the common psychiatric syndromes seen in these patients. The second part discusses in detail the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and treatment of psychiatric conditions in 12 neurologic diseases, written by experts in each of these diseases. The third discusses in depth the range of psychiatric treatments, both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic, available to treat the psychiatric aspects of neurologic diseases, specifically tailored to their use with the neurologic patient. The book is intended to serve as a practical reference for clinicians and is written in clear language, with distinct separated text segments, linked to the frequent use of tables. A glossaryof terms, used throughout the book, is provided at the end for easy reference.

In this book, Johns Hopkins psychiatrist Phillip R. Slavney, M.D., offers a concise guide that will help primary-care physicians evaluate and treat patients who are delirious, demoralized, thinking of suicide, or refusing to follow medical advice.

Although these patients exhibit emotional distress, cognitive disturbance, or maladaptive behavior, the cause of the problem is often their medical illness and treatment. For that reason, many such patients can receive excellent care from their own physicians--physicians who, given the resistance of managed care companies to specialist referrals, must now bear that responsibility in any event. After an introductory chapter on clinical assessment, Slavney discusses each of these common problems as it occurs in the clinical setting, with illustrative cases and specific advice about evaluation and treatment.

"Dr. Slavney has written lucidly and carefully about these very important issues, clarifying his exposition through a series of case examples. This book should be enormously useful not only to students and house staff but also to practicing physicians and faculty, especially those making the rounds on clinical services. One wishes, in fact, that it were possible to have Dr. Slavney along on rounds; this volume is a useful move in that direction."--Jeremiah A. Barondess, M.D., from the foreword