Textbook of Violence Assessment and Management

Book excerpt: Evaluating and treating patients with violent ideations and behaviors can be frustrating, anxiety-provoking, and even dangerous, as errors in judgment can lead to disastrous consequences. Fortunately, there is the Textbook of Violence Assessment and Management, the first and only comprehensive textbook on assessing the potentially violent patient for mental health clinicians on the front lines of patient care. Uniquely qualified to produce this comprehensive volume, the editors have assembled a distinguished roster of contributors who, in 28 practical chapters, combine evidence-based medicine with expert opinion to address the topic of patient violence in all its diversity of presentation and expression. Dr. Simon is Director of the Program in Psychiatry and Law at Georgetown University School of Medicine, as well as the author or co-author of more than two dozen books. Dr. Tardiff, Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health at the Payne Whitney Clinic, The New York Hospital -- Cornell Medical Center, is the author of The Concise Guide to Assessment and Management of Violent Patients, an introduction to aggression management now in its second edition. Violence is both endemic to our society and epidemic in our age. Skilled assessment and management of violence is therefore critical for mental health professionals involved in patient care. The Textbook of Violence Assessment and Management includes many features designed to instruct and support these clinicians. For example: It is the first comprehensive textbook to take the mental health professional from evaluation and assessment to treatment and management of patients who are or may become violent. The 28 chapters address the diversity of clinical settings, patient demographics, psychopathology and treatment modalities, making this work useful as both a textbook and a reference that clinicians can consult as needed for particular cases. End-of-chapter "Key Points" highlight the most important concepts and conclusions, allowing students to review and consolidate their learning and practicing professionals to locate critical information quickly. Clinical case examples abound, providing rich and nuanced perspectives on patient behavior, evaluation and management. The textbook includes a separate chapter on evaluating patients from different cultures, a competency that becomes more crucial as patient populations become more diverse. Increasing numbers of veterans are diagnosed with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Campus tragedies such as Virginia Tech are fresh in our collective memory. This text is both timely and necessary -- not just for mental health professionals and their patients, but for the families and communities whose safety depends upon competent professional judgment.