What are the various methods used to measure psychopathology in terms of rating scales? A comparison of textbooks on psychopathology with international classification systems of psychopathology, the WHO system ICD-10 and the American system DSM-III-R can be found in this handbook. It describes how the principles of modern psychometric theories validate rating scales. With the advent of valid scales, experts have been able to measure the various aspects of psychopathology: personality, the symptoms of illness, life events, the social adjustment of side effects, the health-related quality of life and the side-effects from psychopharmacological drugs.

Each year pharmaceutical companies invest billions of dollars in clinical trials of drugs used for the treatment of central nervous system diseases. Due to enormous progress in basic pharmaceutical research in recent years, controlled tests of new medications are flourishing and these trials have rapidly become an intense focus of practical medical research. Aware of the complexities presented in the design, execution, and evaluation of clinical trials, Marc Hertzman and Douglas E. Feltner bring together a collection of essays that dissect the scientific, psychosocial, political, and ethical concerns that must be examined for any CNS trial. The internationally known contributors examine concerns about ethics and cost; the FDA and its regulatory impact; and the implementation of a variety of trials, for disorders such as schizophrenia, alcoholism, eating disorders, insomnia, and aggression. The editors carefully consider important social issues including the considerations related to women's special needs; and the relative merits of psychotherapy and medications. The Handbook of Psychopharmocology Trials provides an up-to- date and stimulating exploration of important issues on the subject of CNS Clinical trials.