Schizophrenia / Edition 1

by Max Birchwood, Chris Jackson

Overview

Schizophrenia continues to be the most debilitating of the psychotic disorders with less than one third returning to a 'normal' level of functioning. Our understanding of this disorder has advanced considerably over the last 10 years with major contributions from neurobiology but particularly from an understanding of the way in which psychosocial and psychological factors interact with underlying vulnerabilities to influence both the content and timing of psychotic symptoms and the personal and social difficulty they create.

This book brings together this disparate and complex literature in a highly accessible and up-to-date way. It is written by two leading academic-clinical psychologists in the area who uniquely bring together an understanding of key scientific concepts with clinical reality. The section on treatment brings to the reader a clear account of psychological, social and drug treatments interspersed with clinical accounts.

The text is aimed primarily at undergraduates attempting to gain some understanding of this exciting and rapidly developing field but with sufficient depth to engage the trainee clinical psychologist, community psychiatric nurse, and psychiatrist.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780863775536
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/12/2001
Series:	Clinical Psychology: A Modular Course
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.69(h) x (d)

About the Author

Max Birchwood, Early Intervention Service, Birmingham, UK

Chris Jackson, University of Birmingham, UK

Table of Contents

What is Schizophrenia? Course and Outcome and Epidemiology. Biological Aspects. Stress-vulnerability Modules. Psychological Aspects. Drug Treatment. Social and Community Interventions. Psychological Interventions for Individuals and Families.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This is a very worthwhile volume. It presents a thorough review of the disorders of behaviour and experience which lead to a diagnosis of schizophrenia ... The volume is an ideal introduction to the vast research literature on schizophrenia ... The book will be ideally suited to final year undergraduates undertaking an 'Abnormal Psychology' Option, and also as an introductory text for trainee clinical psychologists and psychiatrists ... I strongly recommend it." - Professor David Hemsley, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Nicholas Greco IV, MS, BCETS, CATSM, FAAETS (C3 Education and Research, Inc.)
Description: This book is part of a series on clinical psychology and can stand alone or be combined with the others in the series to form a modular course. This particular book represents an appropriate introductory overview of schizophrenia. Epidemiology, biological aspects, definitions of the symptoms, and treatment are discussed in a brief yet thorough presentation.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide students and clinicians with a thorough introduction and review of schizophrenia. This is a worthy objective because there is a need for concise, updated introductions to the major mental disorders. The authors' objectives are worthy, based upon realistic goals, and certainly achieved.
Audience: Targeted at and written for students and clinicians of psychology, medicine, and nursing, readers will find this book to be an excellent primer for their understanding of schizophrenia. Notably, clinicians well versed in this area will find this book more useful as a resource and possibly a text for teaching. The book is part of series that is easily adaptable for classroom teaching. The authors are credible and are authorities in the field.
Features: The book brings together the extensive literature on schizophrenia and presents it in an easy-to-read and concise manner. The discussion of what is schizophrenia is remarkably well written. The presentation of epidemiological data with particular reference to comorbidity as well as the biopsychosocial aspects is impressive. The drug treatment section is brief and mildly disappointing yet provides an adequate overview. The breakdown of therapeutic interventions into social and community and psychosocial interventions is excellent.
Assessment: The authors' approach to schizophrenia contains the essential information and insight needed for a primer for such a complex disorder. I truly like the books in this series because they are a quick reference and a great teaching tool. The authors are dealing with an area of mental illness that is complex, confusing at times, and often misdiagnosed. They have put together a solidly written book and have made a worthwhile contribution to the metnal health field.

Doody's Review Service

"Readers will find this book to be an excellent primer for their understanding of schizophrenia ... The book brings together the extensive literature on schizophrenia and presents it in an easy-to-read and concise manner. The discussion of what is schizophrenia is remarkably well written. The presentation of epidemiological data with particular reference to comorbidity as well as the biopsychosocial aspects is impressive ... The breakdown of therapeutic interventions into social and community and psychosocial interventions is excellent ... The authors' approach to schizophrenia contains the essential information and insight needed for a primer for such a complex disorder ... They have put together a solidly written book and have made a worthwhile contribution to the mental health field." - Nicholas Greco IV, MS (Abbott Laboratories), Doody's Notes

"This is a very worthwhile volume. It presents a thorough review of the disorders of behaviour and experience which lead to a diagnosis of schizophrenia ... The volume is an ideal introduction to the vast research literature on schizophrenia ... The book will be ideally suited to final year undergraduates undertaking an 'Abnormal Psychology' Option, and also as an introductory text for trainee clinical psychologists and psychiatrists ... I strongly recommend it." - Professor David Hemsley, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

"This is a very worthwhile volume. It presents a thorough review of the disorders of behaviour and experience which lead to a diagnosis of schizophrenia ... The volume is an ideal introduction to the vast research literature on schizophrenia ... The book will be ideally suited to final year undergraduates undertaking an 'Abnormal Psychology' Option, and also as an introductory text for trainee clinical psychologists and psychiatrists ... I strongly recommend it." - Professor David Hemsley, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Nicholas Greco IV, MS, BCETS, CATSM (Abbott Laboratories)
Description: This book is part of a series on clinical psychology and can stand alone or be combined with the others in the series to form a modular course. This particular book represents an appropriate introductory overview of schizophrenia. Epidemiology, biological aspects, definitions of the symptoms, and treatment are discussed in a brief yet thorough presentation.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide students and clinicians with a thorough introduction and review of schizophrenia. This is a worthy objective because there is a need for concise, updated introductions to the major mental disorders. The authors' objectives are worthy, based upon realistic goals, and certainly achieved.
Audience: Targeted at and written for students and clinicians of psychology, medicine, and nursing, readers will find this book to be an excellent primer for their understanding of schizophrenia. Notably, clinicians well versed in this area will find this book more useful as a resource and possibly a text for teaching. The book is part of series that is easily adaptable for classroom teaching. The authors are credible and are authorities in the field.
Features: The book brings together the extensive literature on schizophrenia and presents it in an easy-to-read and concise manner. The discussion of what is schizophrenia is remarkably well written. The presentation of epidemiological data with particular reference to comorbidity as well as the biopsychosocial aspects is impressive. The drug treatment section is brief and mildly disappointing yet provides an adequate overview. The breakdown of therapeutic interventions into social and community and psychosocial interventions is excellent.
Assessment: The authors' approach to schizophrenia contains the essential information and insight needed for a primer for such a complex disorder. I truly like the books in this series because they are a quick reference and a great teaching tool. The authors are dealing with an area of mental illness that is complex, confusing at times, and often misdiagnosed. They have put together a solidly written book and have made a worthwhile contribution to the metnal health field.

The book will be ideally suited to final year undergraduates undertaking an "Abnormal Psychology" Option, and also as an introductory text for trainee clinical psychologists and psychiatrists. There are no major omissions. Inevitably the authors' interest in psychological intervention, depression, and prodromal symptoms, influences the balance of the literature reviewed. These are however important areas and the space denoted is fully justified. Material is presented clearly and the complexities of the topic are acknowledged throughout. The volume is an ideal introduction to the vast research literature on schizophrenia. I strongly recommend it.

David Hemsley