Effective care of complex mental health problems requires teamwork and a shared vision, but standard textbooks overlook the importance of multidisciplinary cooperation. To provide the specific information trainees need for proper patient care, Allan Tasman and Wanda Mohr combined their expertise from Psychiatry and Psychiatric Nursing to create Fundamentals of Psychiatry, a pioneering work that takes a distinctive integrative and multidisciplinary approach to psychiatry.

They have rewritten the essential information from the main chapters of Psychiatry, Third Edition, (edited by Tasman, Kay, Lieberman, First, and Maj) to produce a thorough but compact first textbook for those in training in mental health or for practitioners interested in a compact clinical reference. The intent was not to be exhaustive or comprehensive, but to distill the content to a "need to know" form.

This book is a complete reference for DSM IV-TR disorders. It includes screening and assessment measures, differential diagnosis, necessary laboratory tests for diagnosis and treatment, the major treatment modalities (including psychopharmacotherapeutics), and special issues practitioners may face in treating patients with each disorder, including consultation and referral. It also provides information on therapeutic relationships, professional relationships, diagnostic methods, psychiatric emergencies, cultural and ethical/legal issues.

The nature of psychiatric disorders is such that understanding the person who has the illness, with all their pre-existing personal strengths and weaknesses, is essential to optimal understanding of the patient and for implementing a treatment plan. The authors take an integrative approach to patient care that acknowledges the complexity and uniqueness of the whole person within his or her contexts, making use of many means of understanding them. This philosophical approach affirms the collaborative relationship between patients, their families, and caregivers from different disciplines.

Within their unique multidisciplinary framework, the authors present an extremely well-written guide that:
* features sound clinical advice throughout, reflecting current thinking without overwhelming the reader with references and data
* presents clinical vignettes that illustrate common situations
* is especially suitable for course development and as augmented reading assignments
* is accessible to readers from junior to senior trainees.

This careful condensation of the massive psychiatric knowledge base is as engaging as it is user-friendly. Mental health professionals in training and in practice can turn to Fundamentals of Psychiatry with confidence in not only the quality of the material, but also the relevance to actual patient care.

Also of Interest

Tasman, Kay, Lieberman, First and Maj, Psychiatry, Third Edition, ISBN 9780470065716