Schizophrenia The Experiences Of Patients And Families

An international team of leading researchers and clinicians here provide a comprehensive, epidemiological overview of this multi-faceted and still perplexing disorder, and address some of the key questions it raises. How important in the genetic contribution to schizophrenia? Do pregnancy and birth complications increase the risk for schizophrenia? Is the incidence of schizophrenia changing? Why is the rate higher among immigrants and in those born in cities? Controversial issues such as the validity of discrete or dimensional classifications of schizophrenia and the continuum between psychosis and 'normality' are explored in depth, and separate chapters are devoted to topics of particular relevance to schizophrenia such as suicide, violence and substance abuse. Finally, new prospects for treatment and prevention are considered. Drawing together the findings from social, genetic, developmental and classical epidemiology of schizophrenia, this text will prove an invaluable resource for clinicians and researchers.

OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NATIONAL BESTSELLER The heartrending story of a mid-century American family with twelve children, six of them diagnosed with schizophrenia, that became science's great hope in the quest to understand--even cure--the disease. Don and Mimi Galvin seemed to be living the dream. After World War II, Don's work with the US Air Force brought them to Colorado, where their twelve children perfectly spanned the baby boom: the oldest born in 1945, the youngest in 1965. In those years there was an established script for a family like the Galvins--aspiration, hard work, upward mobility, domestic harmony--and they worked hard to play their parts. But behind the scenes was a different story: psychological breakdown, sudden shocking violence, hidden abuse. By the mid-1970s, six of the ten Galvin boys were diagnosed as schizophrenic. How could all this happen in one family? What took place inside the house on Hidden Valley Road was so extraordinary that the Galvins became one of the first families to be studied by the National Institutes of Mental Health. Their shocking story also offers a shadow history of the science of schizophrenia, from the era of institutionalization, lobotomy and the premise of the schizophrenogenic mother, to the search for genetic markers for the disease, always amidst profound disagreements about the nature of the illness itself. Unknown to the Galvins, samples of their DNA informed decades of genetic research that continues today, offering paths to treatment and even the possibility of the eradication of the disease for future generations. With clarity and compassion, bestselling and award-winning author Robert Kolker uncovers one family's unforgettable legacy of suffering, love and hope.

In this important new volume, Michael Robbins presents an exploration of schizophrenia unique in both its breadth and depth. His work renders this mysterious condition much more comprehensible, and offers both theoreticians and clinicians of different scientific orientations new possibilities for treatment and interdisciplinary collaboration. The book interweaves an explication of the nature and treatment of schizophrenia, drawn from interlocking perspectives including organic, psychological, interpersonal, familial, and socio-cultural, with five of the most detailed case reports of treatment to be found in the literature. Part I introduces the work by covering basic definitions of schizophrenia, the hierarchical systems model for mental illness, issues concerning the data presented in the book, and the methodology used to gather information. Representing the extremes in outcome, Part II comprises two extensive case studies: One is the story of an unusually successful treatment; the other is a case that proved to be a multisystem failure. Chapters in Part III synthesize what is known about the disorder from the perspectives of neuroscience, psychology and psychoanalysis, family systems, and society and culture, incorporating Dr. Robbins' original ideas in these areas. The contributions of such factors as constitutional vulnerability are also explored. Chapters on treatment issues in Part IV cover evaluation and treatment planning from a systems perspective, and review studies of the efficacy of a psychological approach. Technique, process, and the stages of psychotherapy are discussed in detail, as are issues of hospital treatment, pharmacologic and somatic modalities, and family treatment. Part V consists of three complete case studies that are illuminating reading for professionals and students alike. Covering the cases from inception to termination, and spanning the gamut of clinical experience, they include one case that had a positive outcome, one in which the patient seemed to choose to remain ill, and one successful treatment of a chronic schizophrenic. Rounding out the volume is a chapter that summarizes the work and points the way for future research. This thought-provoking book is basic reading for all human science professionals interested in the study and treatment of mental illness, in philosophical and practical questions about the relationships among the scientific disciplines, or in broad questions about the connections among the individual, the family, and social structure.

A powerful work of non-fiction and the natural sequel to his Costa Book of the Year Award-winning The Shock of the Fall.

The new edition of this popular handbook has been thoroughly updated to include the latest data concerning treatment of first-episode patients. Drawing from their experience, the authors discuss the presentation and assessment of the first psychotic episode and review the appropriate use of antipsychotic agents and psychosocial approaches in effective management. This is an authoritative text written by a team of highly respected authors for psychiatrists, neurologists, primary care practitioners and health care professional working in psychiatry. Drawing from their experience, the presentation and assessment of the first psychotic episode are discussed, details regarding antipsychotic drugs and their appropriate use are reviewed and psychosocial approaches are examined. The resulting book offers a concise and valuable guide to those wishing to review the latest proposals for the treatment of first-episode psychosis supported by up-to-date references, in a single publication.