Approach to the Psychiatric Patient: Case-Based Essays Paperback -

From the jacket flap

Approach to the Psychiatric Patient: Case-Based Essays is unique in its structural design, multidisciplinary focus, and intellectual rigor. Each of the 10 chapters begins with a composite case followed by about 10 essays written by eminent mental health experts who share a connection to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and/or Weill Cornell Medicine. This new edition follows the format that made the first edition so successful; however, all of the essays have been updated to include recent developments in the field and to be compatible with DSM-5. New contributions include essays on such topics as depression biomarkers, family issues in schizophrenia, wellness, and co-occurring anxiety and substance use disorders. The 10 cases span a broad diagnostic spectrum, from mood instability (case 3) to terminal illness (case 5) to hypomania (case 9). The 126 authors were each asked to provide incisive "curbside consults" that could be read on the fly or during more contemplative moments by mental health clinicians and other readers interested in the art of modern psychiatry.

As both a general introduction to the field of psychiatry and a series of sophisticated discussions that clarify controversies, dilemmas, and ambiguities, Approach to the Psychiatric Patient: Case-Based Essays is enthralling and informative reading.