Neurosis
Understanding Common Mental Illness

Guides the reader through the concept of neurosis, an appreciation of which is absolutely necessary to mental health practice.

Peter Tyrer (Author)

9781911623656, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 20 October 2022

152 pages
23.4 x 15.6 x 0.9 cm, 0.28 kg

'This highly readable book has long been needed. It is an essential reference for improving clinical thinking, whether you are a physician or a psychologist. It helps building unitary perspectives that may shed light on phenomena that would otherwise remain scattered in the patient's story. What is shared by syndromes such as anxiety, panic, phobic disturbances and irritability may be as important as the differences between them and conditions that are apparently comorbid could be part of the same general neurotic syndrome.' Giovanni A. Fava, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA

Common mental illnesses have been diagnosed separately in recent years, but what is seldom understood is that they are all linked together, often much more closely than other disorders. In particular, combined anxiety and depression linked to personality disturbance, generally known as neuroticism, is very common. In the absence of awareness of its importance, this frequently leads to wrong clinical decisions and poor outcomes for patients. This book focuses on the concept of neurosis, tracing its history as a concept, its abolition from the DSM, the purpose and importance of the Nottingham Study of Neurotic Disorder, the re-definition of neurosis as the general neurotic syndrome, and its recently updated evidence base. Written for psychiatrists, psychologists and researchers, this book shows how recognising these combined common disorders is absolutely necessary for mental health practice, and urges that it is time that we re-examine our treatment priorities.

Foreword
Introduction
1. The general neurotic syndrome
2. DSM-III and the generation of new diagnoses
3. The hypotheses of the Nottingham Study of Neurotic Disorder
4. Interpretation of the results of the 1988 Lancet randomised trial
5. The medium term outcome of the general neurotic syndrome
6. The general neurotic syndrome at 12 years
7. The last phase: the general neurotic syndrome after thirty years
8. Is the notion of the general neurotic syndrome useful?
Index.

Subject Areas: Clinical psychology [MMJ], Psychiatry [MMH], Health psychology [MBNH9], Psychology [JM]