Essentials of Personality Disorders

Book excerpt: An abridged version of The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Personality Disorders, this volume presents the essentials of this topic and is updated with the recent growth of knowledge in the neurosciences and the new technologies being used to tackle the treatment of complex psychiatric disorders. In Essentials of Personality Disorders, 35 international authorities--all contributors to the parent text--offer a balance of theory, research, and treatment geared toward ready application in a busy practice. This volume begins with a review of our evolving understanding of personality disorders and the major theories that have influenced thinking about their nature. A succinct guide to clinical evaluation follows, presenting the defining features of DSM-IV-TR personality disorders, complementary approaches to clinical assessment, patterns of Axis I and Axis II disorder comorbidity, and clinical courses and outcomes. Chapters on etiology reflect the most recent data on epidemiology, progress in understanding underlying neurobiology, a developmental perspective on recognizing early patterns of behavior suggestive of future disorders, and the relevance of childhood experiences to the development of maladaptive personality traits. Eleven chapters on treatment then offer guidelines for determining the appropriate intensity of treatment for patients, followed by a presentation of therapeutic options and considerations ranging from psychoanalysis and group treatment to boundary issues and collaborative treatment.