Introductory Textbook of Psychiatry, Fourth Edition
by By Andreasen, Nancy C. and Black, Donald W.
Category: Medical , Psychiatry , General

An established resource through three editions, the  Introductory Textbook of Psychiatry has been thoroughly revised and tightened up to make it an even more effective text. The authors, long respected as teachers, clinicians, and researchers, have trimmed the content of the previous edition to make the book more practical and easier to use. Throughout, they continue to interweave recent advances in psychiatry with the core knowledge that students new to the field need-from grasping the neurobiology and genetics of mental illness to understanding the DSM system to assessing patients.  Hailed as a "proven winner" and a "classic text," this user-friendly volume is written in an accessible, conversational style for introductory psychiatry courses or psychiatry clerkships-or as an authoritative introduction to abnormal psychology for students of psychology, social work, or nursing. It introduces students to a wide range of psychiatric diagnoses-covering epidemiology, clinical features, and treatment-while providing additional coverage of special topics such as violence and suicide, legal issues that affect psychiatry, childhood disorders, sleep disorders, and both psychosocial and somatic therapies. As a teaching resource, it boasts several key features: • tools that enhance learning, such as compelling case vignettes and "clinical pearls"-even more numerous in this edition-plus self-assessment questions• a detailed introduction to the interview process, including specific questions that the clinician might ask patients• a critical review of DSM-IV-TR covering all disorders, arranged by diagnostic class• eleven chapters devoted to specific conditions, from cognitive disorders to personality disorders to impulse-control disorders, with handy tables of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, practical assessment tips, and other key points• a single-chapter introduction to the basics of child psychiatry, covering mental retardation, autism, ADHD, and more• up-to-date information on drugs-including newer antidepressants-and guidelines for electroconvulsive therapy• a glossary of key psychiatric terms, new to this edition Useful as either an introductory text or a primary reference, the  Textbook encourages students to appreciate the art and science of contemporary psychiatry and to enjoy working with psychiatric patients. And as a concise summary of the field, it also serves as a reliable and an eminently readable refresher for busy practitioners.