Samuel Gershon – författare

This book fulfils an urgent need for an updated text on pediatric psychopharmacology. It takes a unique approach in discussing recent findings within the context of current issues, including economic and political ones. The book covers the emerging question of treating children who do not yet meet diagnostic criteria for psychosis, e.g, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, but who are deemed to be at high risk. This is an active area of debate: such children are being treated in certain centers, while others reject this completely. The book addresses the antidepressant controversy, the placebo response and unique strategies for delineating this, and ways to optimize the differential between active medication and placebo. It reviews the impact of recent American Heart Association guidelines for monitoring children on stimulants and other psychotropics. It adheres closely to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria throughout. The book describes the use of newly approved drugs such as Lexapro for treating adolescent depression and the novel compound Intuniv. It covers the TADS and CAMS studies, which evaluated the use of SSRIs alone and in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescent depression. Other topics include treatment of bipolar disorders, the increasing popularity of generic equivalents, combination pharmacotherapy and the potential dangers of psychotropic medications. Third edition of the first ever book published on pediatric psychopharmacology from renowned editors.Incorporates current developments with regard to SSRIs, their indications and their safety issues, including possible associated suicidal behavior.Addresses concerns about cardiovascular side effects of the new stimulant medications available, and compares to other FDA-approved medications for ADHD.Features many tables, figures and pictorials, making it highly accessible and reader friendly.

This volume examines attempts to identify genetic risk factors and environmental components contributing to the development of psychiatric disorders. It explores the symptoms, courses, outcomes, treatment responses and aetiologies of a range of psychiatric illnesses.

The Pocket Guide for the Textbook of Pharmacotherapy for Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Disorders is a quick reference guide for psychiatrists, therapists, social workers, and other practitioners to give them the bottom line about each group of medications. This guide, which discusses the use of psychiatric drugs in patients under 18, accompanies this author team's complete book, Textbook of Pharmacotherapy for Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Disorders.Clinical indications, dosage guidelines, side effects, common drug interactions and most tables are retained and updated in this new guide. In addition, the guide includes new research findings that have been published recently. This guide assumes the reader has done a complete assessment of all non-pharmacologic methods before treating the patient with medication. It also assumes that the reader has a working knowledge of the types of medication available for treating psychiatric illnesses. Once everything is taken into account, the practitioner can accurately determine the advantages and disadvantages of a specific treatment and relay that to the patient. Above all, the Pocket Guide for the Textbook of Pharmacotherapy for Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Disorders provides the reader with the practical guidelines to safely and effectively prescribe medication.

This book is presented as a 1989 update on the task set by Robert Burton in his "Anatomy ofMelancholy," published in 1621. Burton's treatise addressed ques- tions regarding depression which are still highly relevant today: "...What is it, with all the kinds, causes, symptoms, prognostickes and several cures ofit..." These remain the core issues in affective disorders notwithstanding the remarkable progress that has been made in addressing them. New Directions in Affective Disorders sets out to provide an overviewofwhat has been achieved with particular emphasison developing trends and novel initiatives in bothfundamental research and treatment. The overriding objective of the book is to integrate significant contributions from basic and clinical science into a comprehensive format which will be of value to both clinicians and researchers. Intensive interest in affective illness isan inevitableconsequenceofthe frequency with which these disorders occur. Depression is the most common psychiatric condition, affecting as many as 50%ofpeople in Western countries at some time in their lives.National Institute ofMental Health Statistics estimate that 15% of adults between 18 and 74 years ofage may be suffering from serious depressive disorders in any given year. Depression is a serious condition with a high mortality. A suicide rate ofapproximately 20,000 deaths per year as a result of this illness is almost certainly a conservative estimate.

The introduction of the lithium ion in 1949 as a psychoactive drug preceded the advent of reserpine or chlorprom­ azine and placed it as the first agent in the modern era of pharmacopsy­ chiatry.