Handbook Of Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome Across Cultures

This handbook examines state-of-the-art research and clinical findings on attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS) across the globe. It addresses symptoms, assessment methods, and treatment approaches as they differ and converge across countries and cultures. The handbook explores how the illness impairs many aspects of daily functioning, with high rates of suicide and a reduced life span. It details how early detection is critical and may greatly reduce the public health burden of the illness. Chapters describe the early identification and intervention efforts that are currently underway across the world. The book offers international findings from prominent researchers, elaborating culturally relevant illness symptoms, help-seeking behaviors, and assessment and intervention strategies. In addition, chapters illustrate wide variations in symptom expression and experience, reinforcing the necessity of culturally attuned practice in patient-centered care. The book concludes by examining the implications – challenges and opportunities – for future research and clinical practices from an international perspective. Topics featured in the Handbook include: Barriers to service in low-resourced countries. The role of traditional or culturally acceptable care in developing early intervention models. The reliability and validity of tools for assessing and identifying APS. Possible medical diagnoses that can present with APS symptoms and how to differentiate these conditions from APS. /divThe Handbook of Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome Across Cultures is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, and related professionals as well as graduate students in child and school psychology, psychiatry, social work, and related disciplines.

This handbook examines current mental health research, challenges in patient care, and advances in clinical psychiatry with the aim of improving approaches toward the screening of at-risk individuals, facilitating access to care, and supervising rehabilitation. Combining evidence-based research with clinical case studies, international experts provide detailed, holistic insights into our understanding of mental disorders through biological, social, interpersonal, and economical lenses. Models of intervention, prevention, and treatment are provided, along with methods for continued care and patient advocacy. Finally, experts analyze the future of psychiatric research and mental health care. Readers will gain greater understanding of the finer nuances of handling psychiatric cases and a holistic perspective of optimizing patient care within this field. This innovative book contributes to the development of community management of various psychiatric disorders and will be of interest to case managers, mental health workers, doctors, nurses, and many more.

This book covers some of the most serious mental health conditions that top the global disease burden and affect 3% of the general population. However, most research on psychotic disorders is undertaken in the West, and few studies have been systematically carried out in Asia despite global interest in regional differences. This work offers a unique and coherent account of these disorders and their treatment in Hong Kong over the last thirty years. Chen and his research programme’s pioneering work has ranged from the impact of early intervention on outcomes and relapse prevention, to the renaming of psychosis to reduce stigma. The studies have contributed to wider international debates on the optimal management of the condition. Their investigations in semantics and cognition, as well as cognition-enhancing exercise interventions, have provided novel insights into deficits encountered in psychotic disorders and how they might be ameliorated. The research has also explored subjective experiences of psychosis and elicited unique perspectives in patients of Asian origin. Each topic is divided into three sections: a global background of the challenges encountered; research findings from Hong Kong; and reflections that place the data in scientific and clinical contexts and offer future directions. “This book contains important research into specific problems facing persons with psychosis and schizophrenia in Hong Kong, arising from environment factors, stigma, and treatment shortfalls. Its insights would help “overcome barriers to facilitate mental health work”, which is how Professor Eric Chen describes the work of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, and what he has admirably devoted himself to do over the years.” —Wong Yan-Lung SC, chairman, Advisory Committee on Mental Health, Hong Kong, 2017–2023 ‘This learned and comprehensive opus about schizophrenia, its causes, course, and outcomes reaches far beyond its regional scope and presents the best of the world’s current knowledge about schizophrenia as well as the significant contribution to it made by the authors working in Hong Kong.’ —Norman Sartorius, MD, PhD, FRCPsych, president, Association of the Improvement of Mental Health Programs, Geneva

This book highlights recent research investigating psychological and neural mechanisms contributing to dysfunctional cognition in people with schizophrenia. The work on cognition in schizophrenia from the past 20 years is highlighted, and emphasis throughout the book is placed on utilizing the Research Domain Criterion framework. Thus, the book also covers animals work relevant to schizophrenia that assesses behaviors utilizing the same framework, enabling mechanistic studies and highlighting potential biomarkers of function. The book also includes important areas of research in the field of cognitive function in schizophrenia that have received less attention, such as cognitive side-effects of current treatments and olfactory-based cognition. Altogether, the book provides a translational perspective of the most-up-to-date research on cognition in schizophrenia to-date, but with identification of novel directions for research initiatives..

Evidence indicates a correlation between early intervention and improved response in psychiatric disorders. Yet the majority of evidence is from high-income countries, and there is a lack of evidence and resources on the impact of early intervention across cultures and in low- and middle-income countries. Early Intervention in Psychiatric Disorders across Cultures aims to bridge this gap by focusing on the evidence and methods of intervention in less affluent countries. It covers mood disorders, personality disorders, addictions, and other psychiatric conditions, whilst most research has focused on psychoses and bipolar disorder. Over 17 chapters, this resource guides the reader through an array of approaches to early intervention, from brain imaging and available care pathways, to cultural and societal factors. Part of the Oxford Cultural Psychiatry series, this resource offers readers a picture of the current health care pathways available as well as social, cultural, and ethical considerations to apply in practice.

Health literacy in practice requires the development of techniques that ensure that the patient can better access information, understand its content, know how to use this information, and make better health decisions. If the patient makes better health decisions, there are immediate reflexes in health outcomes. The aim is to develop an approach based on the commitment and creation of an atmosphere of trust that reduces uncertainty, anxiety, and embarrassment based on a process of assertive, clear, and positive communication (ACP model). The Handbook of Research on Assertiveness, Clarity, and Positivity in Health Literacy brings the consolidation of knowledge, strategies, and techniques to improve health literacy. This book discusses the importance of making sound health decisions: decisions that can save lives, prevent premature deaths, avoid hospitalizations and abusive resources to medical emergencies, and improve overall health outcomes for the individual, family, community, and society. Covering topics such as dietary guidance, health behavior change models, and medication reconciliation, this resource has theoretical and practical aspects essential to health information libraries, hospitals, clinics, health centers, health schools, patient associations, health professionals, medical students, researchers, professors, and academicians.