Max Birchwood – författare

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.

Command hallucinations are a particularly distressing and sometimes dangerous type of hallucination about which relatively little is known and for which no evidenced based treatment currently exists. In A Casebook of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Command Hallucinations the development of a new and innovative evidence based cognitive therapy is presented in a practical format ideal for the busy practitioner. This new approach is based on over a decade's research on the role of voice hearers' beliefs about the power and omnipotence of their voices and how this drives distress and 'acting on' voices. The therapy protocol is presented in clear steps from formulation to intervention. The body of the book describes its application in eight cases illustrating the breadth of its application, including 'complex' cases. The authors also present their interpretation of what their findings tell us about what works and doesn't work, and suggestions for future developments. Subjects covered also include: understanding command hallucinations a cognitive versus a quasi-neuroleptic approach to CBT in psychosis does CBT for CH work? findings from a randomised controlled trial.This book provides a fascinating and very practical summary of the first intervention to have a major impact on distress and on compliance with command hallucinations. It will be of great interest to all mental health practitioners working with people with psychosis in community and forensic settings.