Over the past half-century, the social terrain of health and illness has been transformed. What were once considered normal human events and common human problems—birth, aging, menopause, alcoholism, and obesity—are now viewed as medical conditions. For better or worse, medicine increasingly permeates aspects of daily life.

Building on more than three decades of research, Peter Conrad explores the changing forces behind this trend with case studies of short stature, social anxiety, "male menopause," erectile dysfunction, adult ADHD, and sexual orientation. He examines the emergence of and changes in medicalization, the consequences of the expanding medical domain, and the implications for health and society. He finds in recent developments—such as the growing number of possible diagnoses and biomedical enhancements—the future direction of medicalization.

Conrad contends that the impact of medical professionals on medicalization has diminished. Instead, the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries, insurance companies and HMOs, and the patient as consumer have become the major forces promoting medicalization. This thought-provoking study offers valuable insight into not only how medicalization got to this point but also how it may continue to evolve.

Metacognitive therapy is based on the principle that worry and rumination are universal processes leading to emotional disorder. These processes are linked to erroneous beliefs about thinking and unhelpful self-regulation strategies.

Metacognitive Therapy: Distinctive Features is an introduction to the theoretical foundations and therapeutic principles of metacognitive therapy. Divided into two sections, Theory and Practice and using thirty key points, the authors explore how metacognitive therapy can allow people to escape from repetitive thinking patterns that often lead to prolonged psychological distress.

This book is a valuable resource for both students and practitioners wishing to develop a basic understanding of metacognitive therapy and how it compares and contrasts with traditional forms of cognitive behavioural therapy.

This leading text and clinical guide offers best-practice recommendations for assessing a comprehensive array of child and adolescent mental health problems and health risks. Prominent authorities present evidence-based approaches that can be used in planning, implementing, and evaluating real-world clinical services. Coverage encompasses behavior disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, developmental disorders, maltreatment, and adolescent problems. The volume emphasizes the need to evaluate clients' strengths as well as their deficits, and to take into account the developmental, biological, familial, and cultural contexts of problem behavior.

Clinical Guide to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Disorders - Second Edition combines clinically-relevant information about each of theDSM-IV-TR diagnoses with clear, detailed information on treatment options, giving full clinical management advice. Once again, the editors, both leading psychiatrists, have condensed the chapters on Disorders from Tasman et al’s acclaimed two volume textbook of Psychiatry (now in its Third Edition), retaining only the content they deem particularly relevant to the clinician for ease of use.

Each disorder is discussed under the headings of Diagnosis (including Assessment Issues, Comorbidity, Course, and Differential Diagnosis, giving diagnostic decision trees where relevant) and Treatment (listing all therapeutic options, giving practical advice for patient management, summarising treatment specifics with tables and treatment flowcharts).

The original edition established itself as the first point of reference for any clinician or mental health practitioner needing expert advice on therapeutic options for any psychiatric disorder. This edition features an additional chapter on the psychiatric interview and assessment of mental status to increase its utility.

It echoes the progress in psychiatry regarding the establishment of an evidenced-based model of taxonomy, diagnosis, etiology, and treatment. Indeed, from a psychologist's perspective, the equal consideration provided to empirically supported psychosocial treatments versus somatic treatment is a significant development in the field of psychiatry.

Jonathan Weinand in PsycCritiques, the American Psychological Association Review of Books

Author: Michael B. First, Allan Tasman
Paperback: 558 pages
Company: Wiley (2010-03-16)
ISBN: 0470745207
List Price: $104.95
Amazon Price: $87.11
Used Price: $83.99

Eating disorders refer to a range of problems characterized by abnormal eating behaviours and beliefs about eating, weight, and shape. Eating disorders, which are classified as psychiatric problems, and obesity, which is classified as a general medical condition, reflect a diverse and perplexing array of biological, social, and psychological phenomena. Beginning with a comprehensive overview of eating and weight disorders, this volume also covers:

Including the most up-to-date research, Carlos Grilo provides a balanced and authoritative overview of current thinking in the fields of eating disorders and obesity with broad yet in-depth coverage of the areas. This highly readable book is an indispensable resource to students and professionals in clinical psychology, health psychology, and psychiatry.

The Quick Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria From DSM-IV-TR® is a handy, low priced companion to the ultimate psychiatric reference, DSM-IV-TR®. It includes all the diagnostic criteria from DSM-IV-TR® in an easy-to-use, paperback format.

In making DSM-IV diagnosis, clinicians and researchers may find it convenient to consult the Quick Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria From DSM-IV-TR®, a pocket sized book that contains the classification, the diagnosis criteria, and a listing of the most important conditions to be considered in a differential diagnosis for each category.

The “Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders” is a comprehensive two-volume set providing detailed information on mental disorders and conditions, in an easy-to-use format. It includes entries for all 150 disorders classified in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” and also features entries for prescription, alternative and over-the-counter drugs, as well as the various therapies used to treat mental disorders.