Handbook of Affective Disorders

Affective disorders are those disorders in psychiatry where mood disturbance is the central feature: in particular, the term is used for the states of depression and mania. Since the first edition was published there has been steady advance with developments in many diverse areas. This new edition has largely been rewritten. Reflecting the developments and the changes of emphasis, the majority of chapters have new authors. The book is about a quarter larger with nine more chapters. Topics on which new chapters have been added include historical aspects, neuropsychology and imaging, studies of sleep, early environment, transcultural aspects, seasonal affective disorders, depression in medical, settings, maintenance treatment, prediction of treatment response, use of anticonvulsants and interpersonal psychotherapy, while the chapter on neurochemistry has been. The volume aims to provide a comprehensive handbook drawing together knowledge across a wide range of approaches and aspects of the field and the chapters have been contributed by experts chosen because they can speak with authority on their topics, and each has been asked to review present knowledge. The authors are international derived particularly from Great Britain, the United States, Europe and Australasia. An explicit aim has been to encompass the varying approaches which should be incorporated in an eclectic orientation to psychiatry, ranging across the psychological, biological and social. Depression has been given the greatest prominence, in view of its frequency. Mania receives somewhat less space since it is less common. Anxiety disorders in this volume, are discussed mainly in relation to depression. The book is divided into five parts. The first deals with descriptive aspects, including symptoms and their assessment, classification, history of the disorders, diagnosis and prognosis. The second part covers causative aspects, varying from biological and psychodynamic, together with epidemiology and underlying features such as personality. The third part deals with medication and physical treatments and the fourth with psychotherapeutic, cognitive and social approaches to treatment. Part Five deals with selected special aspects such as seasonal affective disorders, depression in relation to childbirth, childhood and adolescence, old age and depression in the special situations of general practice and medical settings. The volume should be useful to students, postgraduate trainees, clinicians and research workers in psychiatry and related medical, scientific, nursing, psychological, social work and mental health disciplines.