Schizophrenia Bulletin

While there are a number of books on positive psychology, Positive Psychiatry is unique in its biological foundation and medical rigor and is the only book designed to bring positive mental health ideas and interventions into mainstream psychiatric research, training, and clinical practice. After an overview describing the definition, history, and goals of positive psychiatry, the contributors—pioneers and thought leaders in the field—explore positive psychosocial factors, such as resilience and psychosocial growth; positive outcomes, such as recovery and well-being; psychotherapeutic and behavioral interventions, among others; and special topics, such as child and geriatric psychiatry, diverse populations, and bioethics. The book successfully brings the unique skill sets and methods of psychiatry to the larger positive health movement. Each chapter highlights key points for current clinical services, as practiced by psychiatrists, primary care doctors, and nurses, as well as those in allied health and mental health fields. These readers will find Positive Psychiatry to be immensely helpful in bringing positive mental health concepts and interventions into the clinical arena.

One of the most important questions of our previous common volumes about affective, schizoaffective, and schizophrenic disorders was the question of what connects and what separates psychotic disorders (Marneros and Tsuang, Schizo affective Psychoses, Springer-Verlag, 1986; Marneros and Tsuang Affective and Schizoaffective Disorders, Springer-Verlag, 1990; Marneros, Andreasen, and Tsuang, Negative and Positive Schizophrenia, Springer-Verlag 1993). The boundaries between various psychotic disorders are not always clearly defined. Some groups of psychotic disorders, such as schizoaffective disorders and all the other "atypical" psychoses, occupy a position between "typical" mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, and affective disorders. The question is: Do psychotic disorders form a continuum, or are they, despite their unclear boundaries, distinct entities? On what basis should we assume there is a continuity of psychotic disorders? Solely symptomatology? Or perhaps also a continuity in genetic predispositions? Or in biological, pharmacological, and other dimensions? Is the old idea of "Einheitspsychose" (unitary psychosis) really always wrong? The contributions contained in this new volume cannot provide a definite answer to the above questions. But they try to describe some relevant aspects of the problem, and to give some partial answers. Halle-Wittenberg, Germany A. MARNEROS Brockton, USA M. T. TSUANG Iowa, USA N. C. ANDREASEN October 1994 Contents Part I Psychotic Continuum: An Introduction A. MARNEROS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Psychotic Continuum or Distinct Entities: Perspectives from Psychopathology CH. MUNDT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Psychotic Continuum Under Longitudinal Considerations A. MARNEROS, A. ROHDE, and A. DEISTER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Psychotic Continuum or Distinct Entities: Perspective from Psychopharmacology H. Y. MELTZER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The human suffering associated with mental illness is something that more than one in five Canadians face at some point in their life.

In First Person Accounts of Mental Illness, case studies of individuals experiencing schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, substance use disorders, and other mental ailments will be provided for students studying the classification and treatment of psychopathology. All of the cases are written from the perspective of the mentally ill individual, providing readers with a unique perspective of the experience of living with a mental disorder. "In their book First Person Accounts of Mental Illness and Recovery, LeCroy and Holschuh offer the student, researcher, or layperson the intimate voice of mental illness from the inside. First Person Accounts of Mental Illness and Recovery is a wonderful book, and it is an ideal, even indispensable, companion to traditional mental health texts. I am grateful that they have given the majority of this book to the voices that are too often unheard." —John S. Brekke, PhD, Frances G. Larson Professor of Social Work Research, School of Social Work, University of Southern California; Fellow, American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare "This is absolutely a must-read for anyone who has been touched by someone with a mental illness, whether it be personal or professional. It is imperative that this book be required reading in any course dealing with psychopathology and the DSM, whether it be in psychology, psychiatry, social work, nursing, or counseling." —Phyllis Solomon, PhD, Professor in the School of Social Policy & Practice and Professor of Social Work in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania A unique volume of first person narratives written from the perspective of individuals with a mental illness Drawing from a broad range of sources, including narratives written expressly for this book, self-published accounts, and excerpts from previously published memoirs, this distinctive set of personal stories covers and illustrates a wide spectrum of mental disorder categories, including: Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders Mood disorders Anxiety disorders Personality disorders Substance-related disorders Eating disorders Impulse control disorders Cognitive disorders Somatoform disorders Dissociative disorders Gender identity disorders Sleep disorders Disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence Reflecting a recovery orientation and strengths-based approach, the authentic and relevant stories in First Person Accounts of Mental Illness and Recovery promote a greater appreciation for the individual's role in treatment and an expansion of hope and recovery.

Provides state-of-the-art information about cognition in schizophrenia with a wide ranging focus on measuring and treating cognitive deficits.