This textbook introduces the reader to some of the most common psychological disorders, from schizophrenia, depression and substance abuse to disorders of childhood, adolescence and ageing. Coverage of these disorders is combined with a comprehensive grounding in the fundamentals of neurobiology and the principles of psychopharmacology that underpin their treatment. Written by David Linden, Scientific Director at the School of Mental Health and Neuroscience at Maastricht University, The Biology of Psychological Disorders sits at the intersection psychology, psychiatry, biology and neuroscience. Aimed primarily at undergraduate psychology students, it is also of relevance to trainee psychiatrists and clinicians. New to this Edition: - Two completely new chapters on the immune system and mental health, and on environmental influences on brain development - Incorporates recent advances in genetics and psychopharmacology - Updated chapters in accordance with the DSM-5 - Discusses biological aspects of psychological interventions and psychological disease models - Suitable for neuroscience curriculum for trainee psychiatrists - New 'controversies' feature that promotes critical thinking skills by exploring the validity of disease concepts and evidence bases

Our understanding of the neurobiological basis of psychiatric disease has accelerated in the past five years. The fourth edition of Neurobiology of Mental Illness has been completely revamped given these advances and discoveries on the neurobiologic foundations of psychiatry. Like its predecessors the book begins with an overview of the basic science. The emerging technologies in Section 2 have been extensively redone to match the progress in the field including new chapters on the applications of stem cells, optogenetics, and image guided stimulation to our understanding and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Sections' 3 through 8 pertain to the major psychiatric syndromes-the psychoses, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, dementias, and disorders of childhood-onset. Each of these sections includes our knowledge of their etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment. The final section discusses special topic areas including the neurobiology of sleep, resilience, social attachment, aggression, personality disorders and eating disorders. In all, there are 32 new chapters in this volume including unique insights on DSM-5, the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) from NIMH, and a perspective on the continuing challenges of diagnosis given what we know of the brain and the mechanisms pertaining to mental illness. This book provides information from numerous levels of analysis including molecular biology and genetics, cellular physiology, neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology, epidemiology, and behavior. In doing so it translates information from the basic laboratory to the clinical laboratory and finally to clinical treatment. No other book distills the basic science and underpinnings of mental disorders and explains the clinical significance to the scope and breadth of this classic text. The result is an excellent and cutting-edge resource for psychiatric residents, psychiatric researchers and doctoral students in neurochemistry and the neurosciences.

The 1990s bear witness to two opposing realities of mental illness. One is the pressing and even tragic nature of mental disorders; serious mentail disorders, including schizophrenia and major mood and anxiety disorders, afflict millions of Americans, producing long-lasting and disabling symptoms. The other reality is improved technologies and advances in brain research that provide hope for alleviating the substantial burden of mental disorders - to individuals with these conditions, their families, and society at large - and the continuing research and development that promises future gains. The Biology of Mental Disorders presents a summary of research into the biological factors associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder. The report also discusses support for this research and the social context in which it moves forward. The Office of Technology of the United States Congress prepared this report with the assistance of a panel of advisers and reviewers selected for their expertise and diverse points of view.

The Decade of the Brain has brought with it many advances in our understanding of the biology of major mental disorders. Biology of Schizophrenia and Affective Disease provides a state-of-the-art look at the biological bases of severe mental illness from the perspective of the researchers making these exceptional discoveries. In 17 chapters, some of the best investigators in the field furnish overviews of their ground-breaking findings and set course for future research efforts. From the biology of stress to excitotoxicity in the development of corticolimbic alterations in the schizophrenic brain, this outstanding reference tool explores the explosive progress in the fields of biochemistry, molecular genetics, neuroscience, and brain circuit anatomy and the resultant advances in nearly every aspect of the biology of the brain and mental illness. Dissolution of cerebral cortical mechanisms in patients with schizophrenia, linkage and molecular genetics in infantile autism, and postmortem studies of suicide victims and schizophrenic patients are among the topics covered. The book also discusses treatment issues, including the mechanisms of action of antidepressants and atypical antipsychotic drugs. Practitioners and students will find this volume an invaluable reference tool for understanding the mechanisms of normal and pathological brain function and potential areas for further insight into the biological bases of mental illness.

The past twenty years have manifested worrying trends in the field of mental health in the United States. Most concerning is the increasingly popular idea that mental disorders are best understood as brain disorders. From this point of view, when confronted with an overly-energetic little boy, parents are informed that their son has a "brain disease" which causes inattention and hyperactivity and that this disease is best treated with drugs. Likewise, a person suffering from a major depressive disorder is told that her depression is caused by a "chemical imbalance" in her brain and that this imbalance is best treated with other chemicals that can restore equilibrium to her brain's chemistry. The idea is not just common - it is ubiquitous. "Everyone knows that mental illness is caused by the brain; those are the facts." And therein lies the problem. Those are not the facts. In this groundbreaking study, William Schultz demonstrates on both philosophical and scientific grounds that mental disorders are best understood not as brain disorders, but rather as solvable problems of personal agency and meaning. This book is essential reading for clinicians, practitioners, philosophers, and any interested in the future of mental health.