Theory and Practice of Psychiatry

Based on years of teaching psychiatry to medical students and residents, this single-authored textbook offers a conversational yet detailed guide to modern psychiatric theory and practice. Exploring various approaches to psychiatric disorders, including neurobiology, dimensional personality assessment, behavioural science, and psychodynamic and cognitive theories, it lucidly illustrates each approach's strengths and weaknesses and suggests how clinicians caninterweave them in working with patients. Using clinical vignettes and recent research findings to illustrate the connections between phenomenology, pathophysiology, and treatment, it covers all of the major psychiatric disorders and includes tables listing their DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria.The book offers balanced coverage of subjects that receive scant attention in other introductory textbooks, including the limitations of the DSM-IV categorical approach to psychiatric diagnosis, controversies surrounding the dissociative disorders and 'recovered memories', and the prescription of stimulant medications to children with suspected attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Later chapters provide practical guidelines for estimating a patient's risk of suicide and violence and forassessing competence to consent to medical or psychiatric treatment. In eschewing a dry recitation of clinical syndromes for an engaging discussion aimed at teaching the reader how to 'think psychiatrically', the book will appeal to medical students, psychiatric residents, mental health clinicians,and primary care physicians.

It blends theoretical musings with good practical approaches and a great deal of solid information. The book provides a thoughtful, topical overview of a constantly evolving and often misunderstood medical field of endeavor., ... well-organized and comprehensive for medical students... a fine book., This is the best single-authored text for medical students I have read. In fact, I would be happy if residents knew all that was in this book. It is well-organized, comprehensive, very up-to-date, clearly written, with an historical perspective. The case examples and the tables amplify the text considerably., ... an academic treasure. It provides a comprehensive review of contemporary psychiatry. Whether discussing the disease models for psychiatry, the life story theories, dimensions of personality, or behavioural issues which present to psychiatrists, the volume offers an organized and clinically useful approach to understanding the issues, salient research findings, and treatments for the disorders within psychiatry... It should be in the personal library of all psychiatrists whether they are at the level of resident or seasoned clinician., . . . an outstanding contribution to our literature, well-suited for medical students and others interested in a general introduction to psychiatry. I found it to be readable from front to back or one chapter at a time depending on one's needs. The text is unique, as it represents the work of a single author, who cogently articulates a systematic approach to psychiatry . . . modern in its approach, up to date, and very readable. I intend to recommend it very highly to directors of medical student education and residency training. As a psychiatrist in full-time clinical practice, I found it highly useful and thoughtful. Dr. Cohen's writing is characterized by clarity, compassion and coherence.