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Practitioner's Guide to Empirically Based Measures of Social Skills
by Douglas W. Nangle Cynthia A. Erdley David J. Hansen Peter J. NortonSocial skills are at the core of mental health, so much so that deficits in this area are a criterion of clinical disorders, across both the developmental spectrum and the DSM. The Practitioner's Guide to Empirically-Based Measures of Social Skills gives clinicians and researchers an authoritative resource reflecting the ever growing interest in social skills assessment and its clinical applications. This one-of-a-kind reference approaches social skills from a social learning perspective, combining conceptual background with practical considerations, and organized for easy access to material relevant to assessment of children, adolescents, and adults. The contributors' expert guidance covers developmental and diversity issues, and includes suggestions for the full range of assessment methods, so readers can be confident of reliable, valid testing leading to appropriate interventions. Key features of the Guide: An official publication of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Describes empirically-based assessment across the lifespan. Provides in-depth reviews of nearly 100 measures, their administration and scoring, psychometric properties, and references. Highlights specific clinical problems, including substance abuse, aggression, schizophrenia, intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and social anxiety. Includes at-a-glance summaries of all reviewed measures. Offers full reproduction of more than a dozen measures for children, adolescents, and adults, e.g. the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire and the Teenage Inventory of Social Skills. As social skills assessment and training becomes more crucial to current practice and research, the Practitioner's Guide to Empirically-Based Measures of Social Skills is a steady resource that clinicians, researchers, and graduate students will want close at hand.
Avoiding Treatment Failures in the Anxiety Disorders (Series in Anxiety and Related Disorders)
by Michael Otto Stefan HofmannExtensive studies have shown cognitive-behavioral therapy to be highly effective in treating anxiety disorders, improving patients' social functioning, job performance, and quality of life. Yet every CBT clinician faces some amount of client resistance, whether in the form of "This won't work", "I'm too depressed", or even "You can't make me!" Avoiding Treatment Failures in the Anxiety Disorders analyzes the challenges presented by non-compliance, and provides disorder- and population-specific guidance in addressing the impasses and removing the obstacles that derail therapy. Making use of extensive clinical expertise and current empirical findings, expert contributors offer cutting-edge understanding of the causes of treatment complications--and innovative strategies for their resolution--in key areas, including: The therapeutic alliance The full range of anxiety disorders (i.e., panic, PTSD, GAD) Comorbidity issues (i.e., depression, personality disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, and chronic medical illness) Combined CBT/pharmacological treatment Ethnic, cultural, and religious factors Issues specific to children and adolescents. Both comprehensive, and accessible, Avoiding Treatment Failures in the Anxiety Disorders will be welcomed by new and seasoned clinicians alike. The window it opens onto this class of disorders, plus the insights into how and why this treatment works, will also be of interest to those involved in clinical research.
Enhancing Cognitive Fitness in Adults
by Asenath Larue Paula E. Hartman-SteinLate life is characterized by great diversity in memory and other cognitive functions. Although a substantial proportion of older adults suffer from Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, a majority retain a high level of cognitive skills throughout the life span. Identifying factors that sustain and enhance cognitive well-being is a growing area of original and translational research. In 2009, there are as many as 5.2 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease, and that figure is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. One in six women and one in 10 men who live to be at least age 55 will develop Alzheimer's disease in their remaining lifetime. Approximately 10 million of the 78 million baby boomers who were alive in 2008 can expect to develop Alzheimer's disease. Seventy percent of people with Alzheimer's disease live at home, cared for by family and friends. In 2008, 9.8 million family members, friends, and neighbors provided unpaid care for someone with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia. The direct costs to Medicare and Medicaid for care of people with Alzheimer's disease amount to more than $148 billion annually (from Alzheimer's Association, 2008 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures). This book will highlight the research foundations behind brain fitness interventions as well as showcase innovative community-based programs to maintain and promote mental fitness and intervene with adults with cognitive impairment. The emphasis is on illustrating the nuts and bolts of setting up and utilizing cognitive health programs in the community, not just the laboratory.
Clinical Assessment of Child and Adolescent Personality and Behavior
by Paul J. Frick Randy W. Kamphaus Christopher T. BarryPsychologists offer an increasing variety of services to the public. Among these services, psychological assessment of personality and behavior continues to be a central activity. One main reason is that other mental health professionals often do not possess a high level of competence in this area. And when dealing with children and adolescents, psychological assessment seems to take on an even greater role. Therefore, it follows that comprehensive graduate-level instruction in assessment should be a high priority for educators of psychologists who will work with these youth. This textbook is organized into three sections, consistent with the authors' approach to teaching. Part I provides students with the psychological knowledge base necessary for modern assessment practice, including historical perspectives, measurement science, child psychopathology, ethical, legal, and cultural issues, and the basics of beginning the assessment process. Part II gives students a broad review of the specific assessment methods used by psychologists, accompanied by specific advice regarding the usage and strengths and weaknesses of each method. In Part III, we help students perform some of the most sophisticated of assessment practices: integrating and communicating assessment results and infusing assessment practice with knowledge of child development and psychopathology to assess some of the most common types of behavioral and emotional disorders in youth. A text focusing on assessment practices must be updated every four to six years to keep pace with advances in test development. For example, several of the major tests reviewed in the text, such as the Behavioral Assessment System for Children and the Child Behavior Checklist, have undergone major revisions since the publication of the last edition making the current content outdated. Further, another major test, the Conners' Rating Scales, is undergoing substantial revisions that should be completed before publication of the next edition. Finally, the evidence for the validity of the tests and the recommendations for their appropriate use evolve as research accumulates and requires frequent updating to remain current. For example, there was a special issue of the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology published focusing on evidenced-based assessment of the major forms of childhood psychopathology that will need to be integrated into the chapters in Part 3. This latter point reflects an important trend in the field that should influence the marketing of the book. That is, there are several initiatives being started in all of the major areas of applied psychology (e.g., school, clinical, and counseling) to promote evidenced-based assessment practices. These initiatives have all emphasized the need to enhance the training of graduate students in this approach to assessment. This has been the orientation of this textbook from its first edition: that is, Clinical Assessment of Child and Adolescent Personality and Behavior has focused on using research to guide all recommendations for practice. The ability of the textbook to meet this training need should be an important focus of marketing the book to training programs across all areas of applied psychology.
Emotion and the Law
by Brian H. Bornstein Richard L. WienerFrom questions surrounding motives to the concept of crimes of passion, the intersection of emotional states and legal practice has long interested professionals as well as the public--recent cases involving extensive pretrial publicity, highly charged evidence, and instances of jury nullification continue to make the subject particularly timely. With these trends in mind, Emotion and the Law brings a rich tradition in social psychology into sharp forensic focus in a unique interdisciplinary volume. Emotion, mood and affective states, plus patterns of conduct that tend to arise from them in legal contexts, are analyzed in theoretical and practical terms, using real-life examples from criminal and civil cases. From these complex situations, contributors provide answers to bedrock questions--what roles affect plays in legal decision making, when these roles are appropriate, and what can be done so that emotion is not misused or exploited in legal procedures--and offer complementary legal and social/cognitive perspectives on these and other salient issues: Positive versus negative affect in legal decision making, emotion, eyewitness memory, and false memory, the influence of emotions on juror decisions, and legal approaches to its control, a terror management theory approach to the understanding of hate crimes, policy recommendations for managing affect in legal proceedings, additional legal areas that can benefit from the study of emotion. Emotion and the Law clarifies theoretical grey areas, revisits current practice, and suggests possibilities for both new scholarship and procedural guidelines, making it a valuable reference for psycho legal researchers, forensic psychologists, and policymakers.
A Practical Guide to the Evaluation of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect
by Angelo P. Giardino Eileen R. Giardino Michelle A. LynTo keep up with growing body of professionals staying informed on this subject, the second edition of A Practical Guide to the Evaluation of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect assists the reader in recognizing abuse/neglect (exclusive of sexual abuse) in children and youth, and determining its extent. Illustrated with clinical photographs, the Guide details systematic evaluation procedures, explains the tasks of an evaluation team, and expands and updates the knowledge base in these and other major areas: Specific injuries, including burns, bruises, fractures, head and abdominal injuries. Malnourishment and other forms of neglect. Medical child abuse (previously known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy). Maltreatment of children with special health care needs. Domestic partner violence. Prevention strategies, psychosocial assessment, collaborations with law enforcement and the courts, and more. The new edition of the Practical Guide to the Evaluation of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect offers expert information.
Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan
by Thomas W. MillerThe modern life cycle is characterized by stressful transitions, when unexpected events--and even many expected ones--challenge people's functioning, health, and sense of self-worth. The international, multidisciplinary perspectives provided in the Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan cover these periods as they occur through youth, adulthood, and aging, bringing together theoretical and clinical findings, case studies, and literature reviews in one authoritative volume. A diverse panel of clinicians, researchers, and educators focuses on the psychological, biological, cultural and spiritual factors surrounding not only trauma and loss but also coping and growth, risk and mitigating factors, and promising interventions. Whether topics are just beginning to receive in-depth attention (the first job; becoming adoptive parents), ongoing issues requiring new insights (veterans' adjustment to civilian life; chronic illness), or emerging concepts (trauma growth; animal-assisted therapy), coverage is well-written, engaging, and eminently useful. A sampling of the topics featured in the Handbook: The developmental neurobiology of stress. The long-term effects of divorce on children. Self-regulation across life transitions. Money in (E)motion: stressful financial transitions. The influence of food on adapting to life stressors. The transition to retirement as a stressful event. With its comprehensive scope and wealth of data, the Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan will appeal to a variety of professional readers, including researchers and scholars in the fields of social, developmental and clinical psychology, sociology, and public health.
Mentoring and Diversity
by Thomas LandefeldThis book will provide basic guidelines for facilitating the educational advancement of under represented students in the sciences, not only from the student perspective but also from the perspective of faculty advisors/mentors. Although the proper mentoring and advising of students about careers and preparation for the education and training associated with them is one of the most important components of a student's education process, this aspect has been severely lacking in academia in the past as well as the present. This is particularly the case with under represented ethnic minorities, despite the fact that mentoring of minority students has been identified as probably the most effective means for assisting them in achieving success. There are a multitude of reasons for this deficiency, including not enough mentors, students not "reaching out", lack of resources as well as other societal and academic limitations. This book provides tips to help guide a student on choosing mentors, what to expect from mentoring, and effectively developing a strong personal portfolio. Tips are also provided to scientists and faculty on being an effective mentor. The emphasis of the book will be primarily on students of color in the sciences, who are severely under represented, and will be presented in a "guidebook" format to simplify the process as much as possible.
Advances in Schizophrenia Research 2009
by Geraldo Busatto Filho Wagner F. GattazSchizophrenia remains an important challenge to psychiatry, with its causes and underlying brain mechanisms yet to be fully revealed. Currently available treatments are neither universally effective nor without unwanted effects. These aspects, together with the high prevalence of schizophrenia, its often debilitating nature, and the associated family and social burden, make this mental disorder one of the most complex public health issues of our times. The purpose of the Advances in Schizophrenia Research series is to provide comprehensive periodic reviews of the wide range of research studies carried out around the world, with the dual purpose of solving the schizophrenia puzzle, and providing clues to new forms of treatment and prevention for this disorder. A special feature of the series is its broad scope, virtually encompassing all fields of schizophrenia research: epidemiology and risk factors; psychopathology; diagnostic boundaries; cognition; outcome and prognosis; pathophysiology; genetics; pharmacological and psychological forms of treatment and rehabilitation; community care; and stigmatization.
Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine
by J. Rick Turner Marc GellmanFrom Neil Schneiderman's Foreword: Because behavioral medicine has been constructed based on the understanding of relationships among behavior, psychosocial processes, and sociocultural contexts, the field is well positioned to take a leadership role in informing future health care policies. The field of behavioral medicine appears to have a bright, important future.... A small sampling of entries from Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine: Abuse, child; Active coping; Adherence; Adrenaline; AIDS; Back pain; Behavioral medicine; Benefit-risk estimation; Binge eating; Bogalusa Heart Study; Cachexia; Cancer prevention; Cancer, testicular; Children's Health Study; Chronobiology; Coping strategies; Database development and management; Death, assisted; Developmental disabilities; Diabetes; Disparities; Eating disorders; Ecosocial theory; Effect modification; End-of-life care; Epigenetics; Expressive writing and health; Fall risk behavior; Family practice/medicine; Family, relationships; Fatigue; Foot care; Functional somatic syndromes; Galvanic skin response ; Gender differences ; Gene-environment interaction; Genetic polymorphisms ; Genital herpes ; Hamilton Anxiety Scale; Headaches, types of; Health systems; Hearing loss; Heart failure; Heart rate; Illness behavior; Immune function; Insomnia; Integrative medicine; Ischemic heart disease; Kaposi sarcoma; Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Study; Learned helplessness; Lifespan; Lifestyle, sedentary; Lipid abnormalities; Loneliness; Lung function; Magnetic resonance imaging; Maternal stress; Mean (average); Medication compliance; Methodology; Mini Mental State Examination; National Cancer Institute; National Children's Study; Negative affect; Neuroendocrine activation; Nigh shift workers and health; Obesity; Occupational therapy; Organ transplantation; Osteopenia/osteoporosis; Oxytocin; Pain; Pain anxiety; Palliative care; Panic attack; Physical activity interventions; Placebo effect; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Racism; Randomized clinical trial; Regression analysis; Resilience; Risk perception; Risky behavior; Secondary prevention; Selye, Hans; Self-medication; Self-monitoring; Stress test; Successful aging; Tachycardia; Theory of planned behavior; Therapy, physical; Tinnitus; Twin studies; Unipolar depression; Usual care; Validity; Vasoconstriction; Vassopressin; Verbal Rating Scale; Weiss, Stephen M.; Women's health; Women's Health Initiative; Worry; Wound healing; Yoga; Zung Depression Inventory
Advances in the Conceptualization of the Stress Process: Essays in Honor of Leonard I. Pearlin
by William R. Avison Scott Schieman Blair Wheaton Carol S. AneshenselThe stress process paradigm has been one of the most dominant conceptual models of health and illness over the past three decades. The contributions to this volume chart a new course for the stress process, extending the paradigm conceptually, methodologically, and substantively. Written in honor of Leonard I. Pearlin, the leading proponent of the stress process, the contributions to this volume provide a new direction for stress process research. Featuring contributions from leading researchers, and an afterword by Leonard I. Pearlin, this comprehensive volume covers three major sections: -Conceptual and methodological extensions of the stress process -The roles of family and work in the stress process, throughout the life course - Psychosocial factors that impact health outcomes. This volume will be an invaluable resource for researchers in sociology, social psychology and public health, all seeking to understand the pervasive role of stress on social disparities in health and illness.
Persons: Understanding Psychological Selfhood and Agency
by Sarah Hickinbottom Jack Martin Jeff H. SugarmanAt its core, psychology is about persons: their thinking, their problems, the improvement of their lives. The understanding of persons is crucial to the discipline. But according to this provocative new book, between current essentialist theories that rely on biological models, and constructionist approaches based on sociocultural experience, the concept of the person has all but vanished from psychology. Persons: Understanding Psychological Selfhood and Agency recasts theories of mind, behavior, and self, synthesizing a range of psychologists and philosophers to restore the centrality of personhood--especially the ability to make choices and decisions--to the discipline. The authors' unique perspective de-emphasizes method and formula in favor of moral agency and life experience, reveals frequently overlooked contributions of psychology to the study of individuals and groups, and traces traditions of selfhood and personhood theory, including: The pre-psychological history of personhood, a developmental theory of situated, agentive personhood, the political disposition of self as a kind of understanding, Human agency as a condition of personhood, Emergentist theories in psychology, the development of the perspectival self. Persons represents an intriguing new path in the study of the human condition in our globalizing world. Researchers in developmental, social, and clinical psychology as well as social science philosophers will find in these pages profound implications not only for psychology but also for education, politics, and ethics.
Self-Help in Mental Health
by Luciano L'Abate T. Mark HarwoodThey're fast, cheap, and promise amazing results--no wonder more people seek mental health advice from self-help books and sites rather than seeking therapy. Complicating this picture: many resources are inappropriate, ineffective, even dangerous. For the clinicians who would gladly recommend self-help for their clients, the challenge is finding reliable, evidence-based sources of help among the vast quantities available. Self-Help in Mental Health: A Critical Review guides readers through this plethora of materials, organizing it into useful order, evaluating popular approaches and trends, and recommending clinically valid, science-based resources for specific clinical and sub-clinical problems. Its authors explain how and why such methods work, offering innovative uses for self-help in prevention and promotion, therapy and rehabilitation, including strengthening therapeutic gains (akin to homework in cognitive-behavioral therapy) and encouraging self-reliance. While some may be tempted to write-off all self-help as quackery or therapy-lite, Harwood and L'Abate recognize the potential the self-help movement holds for countering the stigma associated with mental health treatments. Further, self-help resources represent a viable means of reaching under-served populations, and, for some individuals, they are preferable to conventional therapy. Included in the coverage: Recommendations for books, web sites, organizations, support groups, hotlines, and audio-visual materials, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, addictions, and other conditions, guidelines for evaluating self-help and guided self-support materials, strategies for integrating self-help with traditional modes of therapy, assessment tools for determining client appropriateness for self-help, new directions in theories of self-help and self-change, contraindications for self-help approaches. Concise and comprehensive, Self-Help in Mental Health is timely reading that will enhance the work of psychotherapists and family and couples therapists, as well as researchers in clinical psychology, psychiatry, and other mental health fields.
The Cinematic Mirror for Psychology and Life Coaching
by Mary Banks GregersonCinema both reflects life and contours life--that is its psychological power. And for decades, clinicians and educators have recognized the value of this power, using it to respectively heal in therapy and educate in the classroom. The Cinematic Mirror for Psychology and Life Coaching mines the illustrative value of cinema, offering therapists and life coaches access to ideas that can motivate and enlighten clients. Although many movie guides exist, this volume complements the available literature by adding positive psychology, mental health, and wellness perspectives to the clinical/educational/coaching mix. The serious intent to cull from cinema its underlying psychological value has motivated noted clinicians, life coaches, and cultural critics to offer science-based analysis and intervention strategies. Readers may add their own movie insights and professional expertise to this rich foundation. The volume covers international as well as domestic cinema in a variety of genres, providing a range of film choices relevant to clients' lives. Beyond this, it expands on universal concepts of strengths, capabilities, and coping methods. Chapters in The Cinematic Mirror: analyze how movies can create and relieve trauma, challenge Hollywood's portrayal of the American family, overview the use of movies to examine relationships in therapy, explore the acclaimed Up television cinema verite series as studies in personal growth and social change, reinterprets images of disability in terms of positive psychology, examines models, or the lack thereof, for the American adolescent rite of passage, traces the history of mental illness stereotypes in film. The collective wisdom found in The Cinematic Mirror for Psychology and Life Coaching will bring professionals involved in healing, coaching, counseling, education, and mentoring not only new applications but new appreciation for the transformative power of film. That power already exists. Readers just have to "SEE" it.
Handbook of Individual Differences in Cognition
by Blazej Szymura Gerald Matthews Aleksandra GruszkaAs cognitive models of behavior continue to evolve, the mechanics of cognitive exceptionality, with its range of individual variations in abilities and performance, remains a challenge to psychology. Reaching beyond the standard view of exceptional cognition equaling superior intelligence, the Handbook of Individual Differences in Cognition examines the latest findings from psychobiology, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience, for a comprehensive state-of-the-art volume. Breaking down cognition in terms of attentional mechanisms, working memory, and higher-order processing, contributors discuss general models of cognition and personality. Chapter authors build on this foundation as they revisit current theory in such areas as processing effort and general arousal and examine emerging methods in individual differences research, including new data on the role of brain plasticity in cognitive function. The possibility of a unified theory of individual differences in cognitive ability and the extent to which these variables may account for real-world competencies are emphasized, and commentary chapters offer suggestions for further research priorities. Coverage highlights include: The relationship between cognition and temperamental traits.The development of autobiographical memory.Anxiety and attentional control.The neurophysiology of gender differences in cognitive ability.Intelligence and cognitive control.Individual differences in dual task coordination.The effects of subclinical depression on attention, memory, and reasoning.Mood as a shaper of information.Researchers, clinicians, and graduate students in psychology and cognitive sciences, including clinical psychology and neuropsychology, personality and social psychology, neuroscience, and education, will find the Handbook of Individual Differences in Cognition an expert guide to the field as it currently stands and to its agenda for the future.
A Dictionary of Hallucinations
by Jan Dirk BlomA Dictionary of Hallucinations is designed to serve as a reference manual for neuroscientists, psychiatrists, psychiatric residents, psychologists, neurologists, historians of psychiatry, general practitioners, and academics dealing professionally with concepts of hallucinations and other sensory deceptions.
Motivational Design for Learning and Performance
by John M. KellerIt is impossible to control another person's motivation. But much of the instructor's job involves stimulating learner motivation, and learning environments should ideally be designed toward this goal. Motivational Design for Learning and Performance introduces readers to the core concepts of motivation and motivational design and applies this knowledge to the design process in a systematic step-by-step format. The ARCS model--theoretically robust, rooted in best practices, and adaptable to a variety of practical uses--forms the basis of this problem-solving approach. Separate chapters cover each component of the model--attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction--and offer strategies for promoting each one in learners. From there, the motivational design process is explained in detail, supplemented by real-world examples and ready-to-use worksheets. The methods are applied to traditional and alternative settings, including gifted classes, elementary grades, self-directed learning, and corporate training. And the book is geared toward the non-specialist reader, making it accessible to those without a psychology or teaching background. With this guide, the reader learns how to: Identify motivation problems and goals Decide whether the environment or the learners need changing Generate attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction in learners Integrate motivational design and instructional design Select, develop, and evaluate motivational materials Plus a wealth of tables, worksheets, measures, and other valuable tools aid in the design process Comprehensive and enlightening, Motivational Design for Learning and Performance furnishes an eminently practical body of knowledge to researchers and professionals in performance technology and instructional design as well as educational psychologists, teachers and trainers.
Inhibitory Control and Drug Abuse Prevention
by Richard Milich Michael T. Bardo Diana H. FishbeinThe purpose of this book is to review our state of knowledge about the neurobehavioral and psychosocial processes involved in behavioral inhibitory processes and to provide an insight into how these basic research findings may be translated into the practice of drug abuse prevention interventions. Over the last decade, there has been a wealth of information indicating that substance use disorders do not simply reflect an exaggeration of reward seeking behavior, but that they also represent a dysfunction of behavioral inhibitory processes that are critical in exercising self-control. A number of studies have determined that individuals with substance use disorders have poor inhibitory control compared to non-abusing individuals. In addition, the fact that the adolescent period is often characterized by a lack of inhibitory control may be one important reason for the heightened vulnerability for the initiation of drug use during this time. Controlled experiments utilizing neuroscience techniques in laboratory animals or neuroimaging techniques in humans have revealed that individual differences in prefrontal cortical regions may underlie, at least in part, these differences in inhibitory control. Although a few excellent journal reviews have been published on the role of inhibitory deficits in drug abuse, there has been relatively little attention paid to the potential applications of this work for drug abuse prevention. The current book will provide both basic and applied researchers with an overview of this important health-relevant topic. Since translational research cuts across multiple disciplines and most readers are not familiar with all of these disciplines, the reading level will be geared to be accessible to graduate students, as well as to faculty and researchers in the field. The book will be organized around three general themes, encased within introductory and concluding chapters. The first theme will review basic neurobehavioral research findings on inhibition and drug abuse. Chapters in this theme will emphasize laboratory studies using human volunteers or laboratory animals that document the latest research implicating a relation between inhibition and drug abuse at both the neural and behavioral levels of analysis. The second theme will move the topic to at-risk populations that have impulse control problems, including children, adolescents and young adults. The third theme will concentrate on prevention science as it relates to inhibitory control. Chapters in this theme will be written by experts attempting to develop and improve prevention interventions by integrating evidence-based knowledge about inhibitory control processes. In all of the chapters, writers will be asked to speculate about innovative approaches that may be useful for the practice of prevention.
The Neurochemical Basis of Autism
by Gene J. BlattThe Neurochemical Basis of Autism: From Molecules to Minicolumns is a uniquely interdisciplinary text that presents the latest findings regarding the physiological, neuropathological, neurochemical and clinical elements of autism. This book contains an array of unique perspectives on autism from top researchers, beginning with a clinical perspective that discusses etiologies, early identification, advancements in care and associated disorders. It then covers topics such as neuropathological changes in autism to the pre- and post-natal development timing of the disorder, changes in the cerebellum in autism, the role of oxytocin in autism, the relationship of oxidative stress and autism, and a comprehensive review of pharmacotherapies, as well as the hypotheses being used to explore its causes and cures. Lay abstracts make this book as accessible to the parents and caretakers of autistic children as it is indispensable to the scientists, researchers and clinicians on the front line of this affliction.
Diagnostic Interviewing
by Daniel L. Segal Michel HersenThis volume represents a clear, jargon-free overview of diagnostic categories with helpful hints regarding a psychiatric interview. Completely revised and updated, detailing current innovations in theory and practice, including recent changes in the DSM-IV.
BOLD fMRI: A Guide to Functional Imaging for Neuroscientists
by Feroze B. Mohamed Scott H. FaroFunctional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures quick, tiny metabolic changes that take place in the brain, providing the most sensitive method currently available for identifying, investigating, and monitoring brain tumors, stroke, and chronic disorders of the nervous system like multiple sclerosis, and brain abnormalities related to dementia or seizures. This overview explains the principles of fMRI, scanning methodlogies, experimental design and data analysis, and outlines challenges and limitations of fMRI. It also provides a detailed neuroanatomic atlas, and describes clinical applications of fMRI in cognitive, sensory, and motor cases, translating research into clinical application.
Health Services for Cancer Survivors
by Michael Feuerstein Patricia A. GanzHealth has been conceptualized by world and national health organizations (WHO, CDC, Healthy People 2010) as more than the absence of disease. It involves a focus on physical, psychosocial, and functional aspects of life as well as the prevention of future illnesses. At this point in the development of quality health care for cancer survivors, there is sufficient knowledge and expert opinion to push efforts forward to improve the health of cancer survivors. Clearly there is more research in the most prevalent forms of cancers (e.g., breast cancer) than others that provide us with guidance on how to optimize their health, but there are data on other forms of cancers that can also better inform practice. There may also be general care practices that can cut across cancer types. There has been an emergence of epidemiological and clinical research in cancer survivors that can form the basis for a revolution in the quality and nature of health care that survivors receive. This book not only provides the reader with diverse perspectives and data but also integrates this information so it can serve as the foundation necessary to improve and maintain the health of cancer survivors. Reporting of symptoms to health care providers is a complex, multi-determined problem influenced not only by the pathophysiology but also, as we have learned over the years through pain research, by societal, cultural, and biobehavioral factors. This book will consider this important aspect of follow-up for millions of cancer survivors because of the strong reliance on symptom reporting for clinical decision making. In order for us to generate meaningful and effective treatment, we need to better understand the symptom experience in cancer survivors. This book provides much information that will assist us to better understand and manage this complicated end point. The presenting problems need to be articulated and "conceptualized" as clearly as possible by both parties so appropriate actions can be taken. Since health care costs are a major concern for patients, payers, and providers, this area will also be addressed in all the relevant sections. In taking an interdisciplinary perspective, this book illustrates the importance of a team approach to the improvement of health care and associated health, well-being, and functioning in cancer survivors. The 17 chapters cover critical topics of which physicians and providers of all types must be aware in order to provide the most comprehensive and responsive care for cancer survivors. All of the clinical care chapters include case studies to illustrate the real-world application of these approaches in cancer survivors. Information about sources of referral both within and outside the traditional health care communities will be provided in tabular form. There is no other text that provides both an overview of the problems and their challenges, case illustrations of direct application, and the reality of reimbursement for such care. The editors hope that there may be no need for the clinician or the survivor to adapt to a "new normal" if the presenting problems are understood and handled from an interdisciplinary perspective as outlined here.
Sourcebook of Interactive Practice Exercises in Mental Health
by Luciano L'AbateAs a primary or an adjunct mental health therapy, written practice exercises have proven an effective, low-cost way for clients to transfer gains made in therapy to the challenges of daily life and relationships. These interactive workbooks expand on earlier self-help and distance writing methods along a continuum of healing approaches, from the proactive and preventive to the therapeutic and rehabilitative. But despite their appeal, large-scale access to high-quality materials hasn't always been readily available--until now. The Sourcebook of Interactive Practice Exercises in Mental Health gives professionals a library of replicable, evidence-based, clinically robust protocols and workbooks for a broad range of clinical and non-clinical conditions, suitable for individuals, couples, and families. Luciano L'Abate places practice exercises in the context of current mental health and technological advances, offering guidelines for administration, helpful case studies, and caveats for those new to this type of intervention, and features a wealth of complete protocols in these major areas: psychological disorders from the DSM-IV, including depression, anxiety, phobias, and PTSD, couple and family concerns, from intimacy to domestic violence to children's adjustment to divorce, lifelong learning: assertiveness, emotional competence, social skills, and more, family support skills: preparation for marriage, parenthood, and adoption´, plus exercises derived from widely-used psychological tests (e.g., the Beck Depression Inventory, the MMPI), behavior lists, and others. Clinical psychologists, mental health professionals, and psychotherapists will find the Sourcebook of Interactive Practice Exercises in Mental Health a therapeutic treasure chest filled with new approaches to intractable issues or unreachable clients, new means of viewing typical problems, even new ways for talk therapy to work with words.
Handbook of Medical Neuropsychology
by Carol L. Armstrong Lisa MorrowThe recent surge of interest in the neuroscience of autism, HIV/AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer's, and other disorders has brought with it an increasing awareness of the effects of medical conditions on the brain and behavior--an awareness extending through the research and practice arenas, among those working with pediatric and adult clients alike. Comprehensive in scope and highly detailed in its coverage, the Handbook of Medical Neuropsychology is organized to give readers knowledge of the field, whether one needs to understand a clinical evaluation, design a research study, or gain a deeper understanding of disease processes and corresponding behaviors. Featuring the most up-to-date information on cognitive neuroscience to enhance the work of the practitioner, the student, or the researcher, the book handles theory, historical background, practical considerations, and controversial areas with clear explanations, clinical expertise, and real-world insight, and critiques diagnostic and assessment tools specific to disorders. The wide selection of commonly seen and rarely encountered diagnoses covered includes: Primary nervous system disease and injury. Vascular system disease. Developmental, genetic, and structural disorders. Dementia and normal aging. Immune-related disorders. Endocrine disease. Metabolic conditions. Plus a chapter on current and emerging approaches to rehabilitation. Opening out a specialty as it grows in importance, the Handbook of Medical Neuropsychology is an essential resource for the neuropsychology clinician, researcher, or graduate student.
Pathways to Illness, Pathways to Health
by Angele Mcgrady Donald MossThis book, designed for professionals, introduces a psychobiological model for understanding the paths that lead people to illness and provides recommendations for alterations of maladaptive pathways so that health is regained. Research findings are incorporated to identify causal variables for illness that can be targets for change. Evidence based recommendations for healthy behaviors and therapies are described. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize recognition of turning points on the path to illness that, through informed decision making and implementation of behavioral change, can be re-directed to pathways to health. This book presents case material to illustrate the directions that lead people to illness or to health. The pathways metaphor provides an organizing force, both in addressing variables contributing to illness onset, and in identifying interventions to restore health. This approach will guide the clinician to understanding how people become ill and the types of interventions that are appropriate for stress related illnesses. The clinician will also become better informed about ways to help clients make better decisions, mobilize clients' survival skills, and implement an interactive model of care. The book includes chapters on stress-related illnesses with high prevalence in today's society. For each illness, the genetic-psychobiological etiology is explored with enough detail so that the clinician understands the best method of patient assessment and treatment. One of the strengths of the book is the step-wise system of interventions that are applied to the stress-related illnesses. Beginning with re-establishment of normal daily psychobiological rhythms and continuing to evidence based state of the art interventions, the professional is presented with detailed intervention plans. For example, the section on "Applications to common illnesses: metabolic disorders of behavior: diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia" considers the confluence of genetics, behavior, and maladaptive mind body interactions to produce the metabolic syndrome. Then the personal and professional assessments are described to establish the baseline for recommending treatment while fully engaging the patient. Finally, multilevel interventions are formulated for these disorders. The plan begins with clinician guided self care recommendations to re-establish the normal rhythm of appetite and satiety. The next level of interventions consists of skill building techniques, such as relaxation and imagery. Lastly, psychotherapy and advanced applied psychophysiological interventions are detailed. Case examples are used throughout to illustrate the pathways to illness, the turning points, and the pathways to health. From the patients' viewpoints, the pathways metaphor is a motivator. The patient is guided to understand the paths that led to illness. Subsequently, the patient becomes empowered by the pathways framework to begin to make choices that lead to health.