Case Analyses for Abnormal Psychology

Book excerpt: This casebook provides rich, detailed examples of the major mental illnesses. In addition, it also includes up-to-date information about the biological nature of these disorders, comprehensive approaches to treatment, and critical thinking and questioning pauses. As an added feature, this text incorporates multiple treatment providers including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Before delving into the detailed cases, the text provides introductory chapters on: perspectives in abnormal psychology, diagnostic and therapeutic interviewing, classification and diagnosis, assessment procedures, introductory comments about each case, and therapeutic strategies. Readers learn about the personal history of each consumer both before and during the development of each case. Most cases also include in-depth interviews with individuals close to the consumer. Every case ends with a section on that particular disorder as viewed from a biological perspective. Treatment approaches are applied as appropriate as well as discussions centring on why other treatment techniques have been ruled out as viable options.