Ahmed Okasha – författare

Research evidence concerning the precursors (a sign or symptom that heralds another) and prodromes (an early or premonitory symptom of a disease) of the various mental disorders is growing but is at present widely dispersed and inaccessible. Clinicians have to rely on their own experience, which is often limited, when faced with several delicate diagnostic and treatment issues. This book aims to approach for the first time in a comprehensive way this emerging area of clinical psychiatry. The World Health Organisation has found that mental disorders such as depression and psychosis rank in the top 10 of leading causes of disability in the world, creating a significant social, emotional and economic burden for young people, their families and society. Early detection of these potentially disabling disorders and treatment at the time of initial onset can greatly improve long-term outcomes and effect dramatic cost-savings. The related Birchwood title has sold nearly 2300 copies and is popular at psychiatry conferences. From an R&D perspective, industry have a stake in this area. Obviously, if biomarkers or other prodromal evidence can be determined in various disorders, then drugs will start to be dispensed earlier. The topic has increased in popularity as a subject for satellite symposia e.g Jeffrey Lieberman chaired the Bristol Myers Squibb symposia at the American Psychiatric Association. This dealt with early intervention in schizophrenia and the need for novel approaches in the prodromal phase. In addition, more symposia (and research) look at disorders "across the lifespan." This phrase indicates an approach to research, diagnosis and treatment from a more quality-of-life vantage and early diagnosis is part of this movement.

Be Guided by the Evidence... Somatoform disorders are more common than many clinicians realize and are often underdiagnosed and poorly managed. This practical guide provides a comprehensive overview of all somatoform disorders. It aims to enable the mental health practitioner to properly diagnose and manage the disorders as well as to provide the appropriate advice to colleagues of other medical disciplines. Somatoform Disorders offers:* Detailed coverage of the concepts of each disorder: diagnosis, classification, co-morbidities and course and outcome* An outline of clinical, biological and psychosocial research in the area* An overview of clinical management and future perspectives* The unique series format of systematic reviews followed by commentaries Somatoform Disorders is the ninth volume of the WPA Series "Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry. The book is an unbiased and reliable reference point for all psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses and policy makers.

This title provides a comprehensive overview of clinical, epidemiological, psychobiological, psychosocial and service organization aspects of disaster psychiatry.It takes a practical approach and includes a series of reports on significant experiences made in this field in various regions of the world. An Unbiased and reliable reference point, endorsed by the WPAIncludes contributions from internationally acclaimed experts

Around the world, a vast number of children and adolescents suffer from mental and neurological disorders and only a small proportion of them receive adequate care. This is so in both developing and developed countries. The need to raise awareness about this problem and provide specific advice regarding their prevention and treatment was identified as a priority for the World Psychiatric Association by Professor Ahmed Okasha during his Presidency of the Association and resulted in the creation of his Presidential Programme on Child Mental Health. This book presents some of the fruits of this programme and constitutes a global call to action for mental health workers and policy makers. The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: An area of global neglect brings together information on the burden of mental disorders in childhood and adolescence with methods of raising public awareness of these problems. The book also describes therapeutic and preventive interventions that could diminish them. It then presents the results of field studies in Brazil, Egypt and Russia documenting the effectiveness of interventions to prevent school dropout in those three very different countries. With its emphasis on practical guidance for the development of interventions to prevent or treat child and adolescent mental health, The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: An area of global neglect provides much-needed information of direct interest to health professionals and the many others involved in the provision of health care to children and adolescents in both the developing and the developed countries.

Contemporary Topics in Women’s Mental Health: Global Perspectives in a Changing Society considers both the mental health and psychiatric disorders of women in relation to global social change. The book addresses the current themes in psychiatric disorders among women: reproduction and mental health, service delivery and ethics, impact of violence, disasters and migration, women’s mental health promotion and social policy, and concludes each section with a commentary discussing important themes emerging from each chapter. Psychiatrists, sociologists and students of women’s studies will all benefit from this textbook. With a Foreword by Sir Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London; Chair, Commission on Social Determinants of Health