Descriptive Psychopathology
The Signs and Symptoms of Behavioral Disorders

Provides a broad review of the psychopathology of psychiatric illness, beyond the limitations of the DSM and ICD criteria.

Michael Alan Taylor (Author), Nutan Atre Vaidya (Author)

9780521713917, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 November 2008

498 pages, 59 tables
24.7 x 17.4 x 2.3 cm, 0.99 kg

'As a psychiatric resident, I feel fortunate to have read this book early in my career to help shape the way I learn psychiatry and to care for patients with brain disease. The book is very complete in its description of various psychiatric disorders and should be recommended to psychiatric and neurology residents in training.' Aaron Plattner, Rush University Medical Centre

In order to accurately describe and diagnose psychiatric illness, practitioners require in-depth knowledge of the signs and symptoms of behavioral disorders. Descriptive Psychopathology provides a broad review of the psychopathology of psychiatric illness, beyond the limitations of the DSM and ICD criteria. Beginning with a discussion of the background to psychiatric classification, the authors explore the problems and limitations of current diagnostic systems. The following chapters then present the principles of psychiatric examination and diagnosis, described with accompanying patient vignettes and summary tables, and related to different diagnostic concerns. A thought-provoking conclusion proposes a restructuring of psychiatric classification based on the psychopathology literature and its validating data. Written for psychiatry and neurology residents, clinical psychologists, behavioral neurologists, clinical psychology students and psychiatric nurse practitioners, it is invaluable to anyone who accepts the responsibility for the care of patients with behavioral syndromes.

Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I. Present, Past, and Future: 1. Beyond the DSM and ICD - a rationale for understanding and using descriptive psychopathology
2. A history of psychiatric classification
3. The brain and psychopathology
Part II. The Neuropsychiatic Evaluation: 4. The neuropsychiatic evaluation - principles of descriptive psychopathology and the diagnostic process
5. The neuropsychiatic evaluation - examination style, structure, and technique
Part III. Examination Domains: 6. Psychopathology of everyday behavior and general appearance
7. Disturbances of motor function
8. Disturbances in emotional experience
9. Disturbances in speech and language
10. Perceptual disturbances
11. Delusions and abnormal thought content
12. Obsessive-compulsive behaviors
13. Cognitive testing and the psychopathology of cognitive dysfunction
14. Personality
15. Abnormal trait behaviors: personality disorder
Part IV. Evidence-based Classification: 16. Evidence-based classification
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Clinical psychology [MMJ], Psychiatry [MMH], Neurology & clinical neurophysiology [MJN]