Selecting Effective Treatments: A Comprehensive, Systematic Guide to Treating Mental Disorders (Revised Edition)

Abstract

Selecting Effective Treatments: A Comprehensive, Systematic Guide to Treating Mental Disorders (Revised Edition) L. Seligman. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998, 502 pp. Treatment planning based on empirically supported research and including structured shorter-term treatment approaches has become increasingly important during the past several years as the mental health field has evolved in response to managed care and to other requirements for greater accountability. Seligman's book provides a thorough guide to treatment planning in the current healthcare environment. It includes pragmatic, research-based suggestions for treatment planning for all of the major mental disorders in the DSMIV. It can be read through as a comprehensive overview of treatment strategies for the various mental disorders, or it can be used selectively as a guide when deciding on a treatment plan for a specific disorder. This book is intended for use by nonmedical mental health practitioners, including psychologists, counselors, and social workers. It is appropriate for both graduate students, who are likely to find it to be a valuable introduction to treatment planning, and for more experienced clinicians who may find it more useful as a reference tool. Although the focus is on describing the most effective approaches to psychotherapy, the need for medication and the most commonly prescribed medications for each of the major mental disorders is also addressed. The first chapter provides a thorough introduction to treatment planning and differential therapeutics. It includes an overview of the research on the effectiveness of psychotherapy and a discussion of the determinants of treatment outcome. The determinants of treatment outcome are described in terms of therapist-related variables, client-related variables, treatment variables, and the therapeutic alliance. The acronym "DO A CLIENT MAP" is presented as a framework for organizing the elements of a treatment plan. These elements are as follows: Diagnosis, Objectives of treatment, Assessments, Clinician characteristics, Location of treatment, Interventions to be used, Emphasis of treatment (e.g., insight-oriented vs. action-oriented), Numbers (individual, family, or group), Timing (frequency, pace, duration), Medications, Adjunct services, and Prognosis. This acronym is used throughout the rest of the book to present recommendations for treatment planning. Chapters 2 through 9 systematically describe and then provide suggestions for the treatment of most of the disorders in the DSM-IV. In fact, this book is so thorough and so well organized that it may be used as a companion to the DSM-IV. Each chapter covers a related group of disorders (e.g., Mood Disorders, Disorders of Behavior and Impulse Control) and includes the following types of information for each disorder: Description of the Disorder, Typical Client Characteristics, Preferred Therapist Characteristics, Intervention Strategies, and Prognosis. Each chapter also presents a case illustration and includes a treatment plan ("Client Map") for both the group of disorders in general and for the clinical example. …