Handbook for the Treatment of the Seriously Mentally Ill

Abstract

N #{176} other psychiatric subject has eluded and challenged us as has schizophrenia. In this era of new discoveries, Hirsch and Weinbergen present us with a masterfully constructed collaboration of 63 international expelts in the field. This scholarly compendium summarizes the current knowledge base, research techniques, and treatments for schizophrenia. It is the essential reference text on schizophrenia and its myriad manifestations for students, clinicians, and researchers alike. The book is completely up to date, using not only DSM-IV and lCD-b criteria and paradigms but explaining how thinking in the field has evolved oven time. I particularly enjoyed the chapter by Ming Tsuang and associates on schizoaffective disorder. It begins with an interesting historical review of the concept, surveys the numenous diagnostic views and treatment considerations, and summarizes findings from epidemiological, genetic, and follow-up studies. All this in nine and a half pages! Furthermore, Dr. Tsuang’s straightforward and comprehensive approach is typical of the chapters in the book. This hefty text of more than 700 pages is divided into four parts: Descriptive Aspects, Biological Aspects, Physical Treatments, and Psychosocial Aspects. The 33 chapters are user friendly. Each begins with a list of key concepts and page references, allowing the reader to quickly gain access to areas of interest. The chapters are not overly long, have more than adequate references, and contain multipie easy-to-read tables and figures. Although all chapters are cleanly written and new concepts build on previously well explained fundamentals, this is not an easy text for the inexperienced student or beginning clinician. The emphasis on carefully delineating what is empirically known about an aspect of schizophrenia is evident throughout the book. The authors diligently present the studies that inform their thinking. For example, McGrath and Murray’s chapter on risk factors for schizophrenia includes four extensive tables summarizing research studies. Besides the book’s excellent coverage of basic issues such as diag-