Melancholia
The Diagnosis, Pathophysiology and Treatment of Depressive Illness

Defines melancholia as a syndrome with a clear diagnosis, prognosis, and set of treatment options.

Michael Alan Taylor (Author), Max Fink (Author)

9780521841511, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 1 June 2006

562 pages
24.4 x 17 x 3.2 cm, 1.252 kg

Review of the hardback: 'In the preface of Melancholia, the authors assert that one objective of the book is to 'Challenge accepted doctrines' regarding the classification and treatment of depressive illness. To this end, they don't disappoint, approaching this goal with a vigour that emanates from every section.' Psychiatric Services

This book provides a comprehensive review of melancholia as a severe disorder of mood, associated with suicide, psychosis, and catatonia. The syndrome is defined with a clear diagnosis, prognosis, and range of management strategies, differentiated from other similar psychiatric, neurological, and general medical conditions. It challenges accepted doctrines in the classification and biology of the mood disorders and defines melancholia as a treatable mental illness. Described for millennia in medical texts and used as a term in literature and poetry, melancholia was included within early versions of the major diagnostic classificatory systems, but lost favour in later editions. This book updates the arguments for the diagnosis, describes its characteristics in detail, and promotes treatment and prevention. The book offers great hope to those with a disorder too often mis-diagnosed and often fatal. It should be read by all those responsible for the management of patients with mood disorders.

List of patient vignettes
Acknowledgements
Preface
1. Melancholia: a conceptual history
2. Melancholia defined
3. Defining melancholia by psychopathology
4. Defining melancholia: laboratory tests
5. Examination for melancholia
6. The differential diagnosis of melancholia
7. Suicide in melancholia
8. Electroconvulsive therapy for melancholia
9. Achieving effective ECT
10. The validity of the pharmacotherapy literature in melancholia
11. Basic pharmacotherapy for melancholic patients
12. Pharmacotherapy of melancholia: complicating circumstances.

Subject Areas: Clinical psychology [MMJ]