The first volume of this Handbook discussed neuroendocrine diagnostic tests and the diagnostic use of central nervous system amine metabolites. That volume further reviewed the toxicological evaluation of patients and the laboratory evalua tion of treatment outcome. It suggested a system for evaluating newly admitted psychiatric patients and dermed the scope of diagnostic procedures available in the emergency department. Volume II focuses on the use and interpretation of electro physiologic and radiologic diagnostic tests in psychiatry and then explores the laboratory evaluation of special groups of patients. The clinical sections of this volume are designed to assist the physician in in stituting a proper workup for specific patients and defining tests which will assist them in the differential diagnosis of various psychiatric disorders. Such workups are critical to exclude possible organic disorders which can present with psychia tric symptoms. The workup suggested for the various classes of patients will assist the clini cian with differential diagnosis, provide base-line information for long-term follow up, delineate biological perimeters at the beginning of treatment, protect the pa tient from unrecognized cardiac, renal, hepatic, or endocrine disorders which could be adversely affected by the administration of medications, and provide a rational sequencing of workup for particular disorders to insure the most thorough yet cost efficient approach to the patient.

The Science of Psychiatry We live in exciting times. Psychiatrists practicing their specialty are beset as never before with news of developments in the field. The conduits of news to the practicing clinician are usually either stories written in the popular medical press such as news circulars and advertisements from commercial concerns, or from de tailed scientific articles written for the scientific community. In both forms, the news has been coming thick and fast. The problem encountered most often by practicing psychiatrists and clini cians responsible for hospital facilities is integrating this material into a coherent whole, with sufficient technical detail to permit the appropriate development or use of the new tests and procedures in the clinical setting. The two volumes comprising the Handbook of Psychiatric Diagnostic Pro cedures represent an attempt to provide a clinically useful review of the current accepted applicability of these tests and procedures, to enable the clinician to properly implement and evaluate the procedures as well as the results obtained.

The Science of Psychiatry We live in exciting times. Psychiatrists practicing their specialty are beset as never before with news of developments in the field. The conduits of news to the practicing clinician are usually either stories written in the popular medical press such as news circulars and advertisements from commercial concerns, or from de tailed scientific articles written for the scientific community. In both forms, the news has been coming thick and fast. The problem encountered most often by practicing psychiatrists and clini cians responsible for hospital facilities is integrating this material into a coherent whole, with sufficient technical detail to permit the appropriate development or use of the new tests and procedures in the clinical setting. The two volumes comprising the Handbook of Psychiatric Diagnostic Pro cedures represent an attempt to provide a clinically useful review of the current accepted applicability of these tests and procedures, to enable the clinician to properly implement and evaluate the procedures as well as the results obtained.

For centuries the "treatment" of mentally disturbed individuals was quite simple. They were accused of collusion with evil spirits, hunted, and persecuted. The last "witch" was killed as late as 1782 in Switzerland. Mentally disturbed people did not fare much better even when the witchhunting days were gone. John Christian Reil gave the following description of mental pa tients at the crossroads of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries: We incarcerate these miserable creatures as if they were criminals in abandoned jails, near to the lairs of owls in barren canyons beyond the city gates, or in damp dungeons of prisons, where never a pitying look of a humanitarian penetrates; and we let them, in chains, rot in their own excrement. Their fetters have eaten off the flesh of their bones, and their emaciated pale faces look expectantly toward the graves which will end their misery and cover up our shamefulness. (1803) The great reforms introduced by Philippe Pinel at Bicetre in 1793 augured the beginning of a new approach. Pinel ascribed the "sick role," and called for compas sion and help. One does not need to know much about those he wants to hurt, but one must know a lot in order to help. Pinel's reform was followed by a rapid develop ment in research of causes, symptoms, and remedies of mental disorders. There are two main prerequisites for planning a treatment strategy.

The Handbook of Psychiatric Measures offers a concise summary of key evaluations that you can easily incorporate into your daily practice. The measures will enhance the quality of patient care assisting you, both in diagnosis and assessment of outcomes. Comprising a wide range of methods available for assessing persons with mental health problems, the Handbook contains more than 275 rating methods, from the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale to the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. In this fully revised edition, more than 40 measures have been added both to the book and to the accompanying CD-ROM. The Handbook features: Thoroughly examined and revised measures that provide the most relevant and timely information for clinicians. New measures that empirically provide better patient evaluation Updated costs, translations, and contact information for each measure This handy compendium includes both diagnostic tools and measures of symptoms, function and quality of life, medication side effects, and other clinically relevant parameters. It focuses on measures that can be most readily used in either clinical practice or research. Most of the measures are designed to improve the reliability and validity of patient assessment over what might be accomplished in a standard clinical interview. The measures also demonstrate that the use of formal measures can improve the collection, synthesis, and reporting of information as compared with the use of unstructured examinations. Seventeen disorder-specific chapters, organized in DSM-IV-TR order, include measures for: Disorders of childhood and adolescence Cognitive disorders Sexual dysfunction Eating disorders Sleep disorders Aggression and much more. The discussion of each measure includes goals, description, practical issues, psychometric properties, and clinical utility, followed by references and suggested readings. This revised edition includes updated measure descriptions, new measure variants and research, and newly selected measures particularly appropriate to the domain of discussion. As a clinical tool, this book Describes how, when, and to what purpose measures are used Points out practical issues to consider in choosing a measure for clinical use Addresses limitations in the use of measures including ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic factors that influence their interpretation Use of this special resource is further enhanced by a CD-ROM containing the full text of more than 150 of these measures -- an invaluable aid for reference and clinical decision-making.