What Every Patient, Family, Friend, and Caregiver Needs to Know About Psychiatry

by Richard W. Roukema MD FAPA

Overview

If you care for someone with a mental illness -- whether as a family member, friend, or practitioner -- this hands-on reference is for you. The acclaimed What Every Patient, Family, Friend, and Caregiver Needs to Know About Psychiatry is now available in a long-awaited second edition. Like the first, it is written in a simple, concise style for the layperson -- and is packed with need-to-know information on adult psychiatric disorders, including their causes, approaches to treatment, and what caregivers can do to help. It is an excellent resource for therapist's waiting room.

What Every Patient, Family, Friend, and Caregiver Needs to Know About Psychiatry features a wealth of immediately usable guidance for caregivers. It's an excellent text for introduction to psychiatry classes in colleges and nursing schools for helping students develop valuable knowledge and skills to apply in practice.

This one-stop resource is the first place to turn for practical guidance for the latest research-based techniques. You'll • Get a solid understanding of the causes of psychiatric disorders, including stress, genetics and heredity, and emotional and physical problems• Develop hands-on skills for the full range of emotional and mental disorders, including psychosomatic disorders, anxiety, substance abuse, sexual problems, loss, personality and mood disorders, schizophrenia, and cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease • Find out how the psychiatrist should function in the patient-caregiver-doctor relationship -- and learn how to choose a psychotherapist.

This second edition has been extensively revised and updated with new information on diagnostic techniques and brain scans, the role of genetics, new medications and psychotherapeutic approaches, and more. In addition, it features a unique and illuminating look at mental health in our post-9/11 nation, including the rising incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Whether you're a social worker or psychologist, nurse or other professional, friend or family member, you'll get a sound framework to help you achieve better results.

Caring for a person with mental illness requires knowledge, skill, understanding, and strength. What Every Patient, Family, Friend, and Caregiver Needs to Know About Psychiatry gives you a source of guidance and techniques that will make you more confident and successful in your role as practitioner or caregiver.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781585627509
Publisher:	American Psychiatric Publishing, Incorporated
Publication date:	08/13/2008
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Richard W. Roukema, M.D., F.A.P.A., is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in Newark, New Jersey. He also serves as Clinical Director of Mental Health Services at Ramapo Ridge Psychiatric Hospital in Wyckoff, New Jersey, a division of the Christian Health Care Center.

Table of Contents

About the AuthorIntroductionPART I: Background and Normal Variations in StressChapter 1. A Day at the OfficeChapter 2. Normal Development and the Life CycleChapter 3. Heredity, Parenting, and SocietyChapter 4. Stress and Common Emotional ReactionsChapter 5. Managing StressPART II: How Emotional Illness Differs From Mental IllnessChapter 6. Adjustment Disorders and Psychosomatic DisordersChapter 7. Anxiety Disorders, Somatoform Disorders, and Dissociative DisordersChapter 8. Alcoholism and Drug AbuseChapter 9. Sexual Problems in Our CultureChapter 10. Eating DisordersChapter 11. The Emotional Effects of LossChapter 12. Personality DisordersChapter 13. Unusual Psychiatric DisordersPART III: Mental Illness: The PsychosesChapter 14. Mood Disorders: Depression and Manic StatesChapter 15. SchizophreniaChapter 16. Other Psychotic DisordersChapter 17. Delirium, Dementia, and Amnestic and Other Cognitive DisordersPART IV: Treatment of Emotional and Mental IllnessesChapter 18. How a Psychiatrist HelpsChapter 19. Psychotherapy: Who, What, When, and How?ConclusionSuggested ReadingsIndex

What People are Saying About This

Herbert Pardes

Richard Roukema's new book is an excellent exposition of basic issues pertaining to psychiatry. Given the widespread nature of psychiatric problems and questions related to emotions, I would imagine that almost every individual would gain from this clear, interesting, insightful description of the problems that psychiatrists encounter. It would serve a useful purpose not only for patients but for family and caregivers who want to help. I recommend it as an understandable and authoritative text for the everyday issues pertaining to psychiatric disorders and the attention that is given to them.

Editorial Reviews

3 Stars from Doody

Comprehensive information for the layperson covers the gamut of adult psychiatric disorders, providing in-depth advice on understanding and dealing with stress and difficult patient behaviors. Topics include heredity's role in alcohol and drug dependence; marital troubles, psychiatric problems common among the elderly; and emotional illness versus mental illness. Chapters feature definitions of psychiatric terms, explanations of the effects and uses of available medications, and discussions of biological theories and research on short-term therapies. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews

Reviewer: Diana Marta, BSN, RN (Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This is a second edition of a very informative and user-friendly guide to the subject of psychiatry. It covers diagnoses, treatment options, case studies, medications and more in a way that can be readily understood by a lay person.
Purpose: The author's goal is to educate patients and their families, friends, and caregivers on issues that come up in dealing with mental illness. It avoids using medical jargon and is not at all like a textbook. The author's intent is to provide an authoritative, useful resource in a world where everyone tries to practice and give psychiatric advice; and do so in a manner that is easy to read and absorb. He has done an excellent job of accomplishing his goal.
Audience: The intended audience is lay people, particularly patients, family, friends and caregivers, but the book could be helpful to people who work with those affected by mental illness. The case studies help to illustrate the illnesses and propose ways to respond to them. The author is a university professor and clinical director of a major psychiatric hospital. He has also been recognized as an advocate for mental health by the National Alliance for the Mentally III (NAMI).
Features: The book begins by attempting to distinguish between what is normal or a mild variation in mood or behavior and what constitutes a psychiatric illness. The case studies illustrate various situations that a family member might encounter and how best to respond. It is comfortable reading, either in parts or in its entirety, and even has an inviting cover to draw the reader in. I felt like I was reading an interesting magazine article as opposed to a textbook or journal.
Assessment: I like the accessibility of this book, in its appearance, writing style, and organization. It is informative and thorough without patronizing the reader and should be recommended to families and friends of patients to enhance the support they offer. Patients especially will appreciate the respect the author shows for those who suffer from mental illness and the author's commitment to improving their lives.

Doody's Review Service