Factitious disorder presents one of the most challenging variants of psychopathology in medicine. The Spectrum of Factitious Disorders is the first book for professionals to offer a comprehensive overview of current thinking about patients who feign or induce illness -- in themselves or others -- to accrue the intangible benefits of the "sick" role. Attempts to influence factitious patients' behavior have been largely unsuccessful. This volume covers innovative techniques for treating such patients, stressing the need to treat them with acceptance and understanding. First-person accounts are used to illustrate the intense feelings mobilized in friends, family members, caregivers, and patients themselves as factitious disorders play out. The book also presents a management approach that emphasizes respect for the patient, no matter what the symptomatology. Using abundant case material, this revolutionary work aids mental health practitioners in understanding the phenomenon of "disease-forgery" and addresses its inherent management challenges. Notable contributors provide relevant information on ethical and legal issues in factitious disorders. The clinical features, detection, and management of factitious disorder by proxy are explored, along with comprehensive psychosocial assessment and legal issues in such cases.

From translating the patient’s medical records and test results to providing recommendations, the neuropsychological evaluation incorporates the science and practice of neuropsychology, neurology, and psychological sciences. The Little Black Book of Neuropsychology brings the practice and study of neuropsychology into concise step-by-step focus—without skimping on scientific quality. This one-of-a-kind assessment reference complements standard textbooks by outlining signs, symptoms, and complaints according to neuropsychological domain (such as memory, language, or executive function), with descriptions of possible deficits involved, inpatient and outpatient assessment methods, and possible etiologies. Additional chapters offer a more traditional approach to evaluation, discussing specific neurological disorders and diseases in terms of their clinical features, neuroanatomical correlates, and assessment and treatment considerations. Chapters in psychometrics provide for initial understanding of brain-behavior interpretation as well as more advanced principals for neuropsychology practice including new diagnostic concepts and analysis of change in performance over time. For the trainee, beginning clinician or seasoned expert, this user-friendly presentation incorporating ‘quick reference guides’ throughout which will add to the practice armentarium of beginning and seasoned clinicians alike. Key features of The Black Book of Neuropsychology: Concise framework for understanding the neuropsychological referral. Symptoms/syndromes presented in a handy outline format, with dozens of charts and tables. Review of basic neurobehavioral examination procedure. Attention to professional issues, including advances in psychometrics and diagnoses, including tables for reliable change for many commonly used tests. Special “Writing Reports like You Mean It” section and guidelines for answering referral questions. Includes appendices of practical information, including neuropsychological formulary. The Little Black Book of Neuropsychology is an indispensable resource for the range of practitioners and scientists interested in brain-behavior relationships. Particular emphasis is provided for trainees in neuropsychology and neuropsychologists. However, the easy to use format and concise presentation is likely to be of particular value to interns, residents, and fellows studying neurology, neurological surgery, psychiatry, and nurses. Finally, teachers of neuropsychological and neurological assessment may also find this book useful as a classroom text. "There is no other book in the field that covers the scope of material that is inside this comprehensive text. The work might be best summed up as being a clinical neuropsychology postdoctoral residency in a book, with the most up to date information available, so that it is also an indispensible book for practicing neuropsychologists in addition to students and residents...There is really no book like this available today. It skillfully brings together the most important foundationsof clinical neuropsychology with the 'nuts and bolts' of every facet of assessment. It also reminds the more weathered neuropsychologists among us of the essential value of neuropsychological assessment...the impact of the disease on the patient’s cognitive functioning and behavior may only be objectively quantified through a neuropsychological assessment." Arch Clin Neuropsychol (2011) first published online June 13, 2011 Read the full review acn.oxfordjournals.org

The constantly-changing field inspired the second edition of Handbook of Clinical Sexuality for Mental Health Professionals. In a state-of-the-art guide, Dr. Levine and his associates continue to help professionals with the assessment and treatment of a large array of sexual concerns. Written in a personal, supervisory style, the book will help new therapists anticipate clinical contingencies and help experienced therapists refine their thinking and teaching. Easily accessible, the Handbook is divided into six major sections with helpful annotated references: Being a Therapist; Intimacy; Sexual Dysfunction; Sexual Identity Struggles; The Forgotten; and Additional Vital Topics. Twenty-one chapters have been thoroughly revised and updated, and five new ones have been added. These focus on gay and lesbian life, transitioning to single life, cancer survivorship, the sexual issues of the developmentally challenged, and sex among the aging.

Most of us can recall a time when we pretended to be sick to reap the benefits that go along with illness. By playing sick, we gained sympathy, care, and attention, and were excused from our responsibilities. Though doing so on occasion is considered normal, there are those who carry their deceptions to the extreme. In this book, Dr. Marc Feldman describes people’s strange motivations to fabricate or induce illness or injury to satisfy deep emotional needs. Doctors, family members, and friends are lured into a costly, frustrating, and potentially deadly web of deceit. From the mother who shaves her child’s head and tells her community he has cancer, to the co-worker who suffers from a string of incomprehensible "tragedies," to the false epilepsy victim who monopolizes her online support group, "disease forgery" is ever-present in the media and in many people’s lives. In Dying to be Ill: True Stories of Medical Deception, Dr. Feldman, with the assistance of Gregory Yates, has chronicled this fascinating world as well as the paths to healing. With insight developed from 25 years of hands-on experience, Dying to be Ill is sure to stand as a classic in the field.

Gender has a fundamental influence on the human brain, not only by virtue of biological and hormonal differences between the sexes but also because of the impact of gender-specific cultural, social, anthropological and environmental factors. Nevertheless, the relation of gender and psychopathology remains a largely neglected field. Gender perspective has been treated as a paradigm in this book on psychopathology because it determines the way in which a psychiatric symptom is defined, perceived and understood. This conception of gender as being of key importance in the definition of psychiatric symptomatology is exceptional in the literature. The book opens by examining historical and cultural aspects of mental health in women worldwide and the relation of sex, brain and gender, with coverage of both neurobiological and psychosocial aspects. The significance of gender with regard to specific aspects of psychopathology is then addressed in detail. A wide range of psychological disorders are considered, as well as hormonal influences and issues concerning body image, self identity, sexuality and life instinct. It is hoped that this book will make a significant contribution in ensuring that gender perspective receives due attention within descriptive psychopathology.

Patients with striking symptoms which have no discernible physical cause are typically labelled as suffering from hysterical conversion. This book covers aspects neglected by previous works on this controversial condition, moving away from traditional historico-sociological accounts towards neuroscientific theories about the causes and categorization of hysteria. Importantly, it also covers medico-legal aspects, prognosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

Sometimes described as "the nemesis of the primary care physician," somatoform disorders are frustrating, expensive to treat, and under-investigated. Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders provides a fascinating and practical review of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this ill-defined category of disease. Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders summarizes the proceedings of a unique international conference that convened experts from across disciplines to review perspectives on somatoform disorders. The broad range of experience and specialization results in a compendium that addresses both theoretical and practical issues presented in somatoform disorders. For the researcher, the book offers a thorough and critical overview of the research landscape, surveying and synthesizing the available literature from around the world on all aspects of the disorder. Acknowledging the unique challenges presented in studying such a heterogeneous collection of disorders, the authors identify specific gaps in the research literature. Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders also addresses controversial issues of nosology in advance of the publication of DSM-V. Despite its utility for researchers, the book primarily serves as an invaluable reference and resource for the practitioner. Organized with the clinician in mind, Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders surveys the latest data on phenomenology; etiology and clinical course; and treatment options. Unlike other literature on this difficult topic, the authors thoroughly explore the entire range of this category of disorders, including conversion disorder, chronic pain and fatigue, and the multitude of presentations of medically unexplained symptoms. Aimed at both primary care and mental health practitioners, the book addresses crucial issues for effective diagnosis and treatment, including: Comorbidity and association with anxiety and depressive disorders Unique insights into cultural factors affecting the presentation and treatment of somatic disorders around the globe The prevalence of misdiagnosis, and contemporary diagnostic tools and techniques to help avoid a missed organic diagnosis The complicated interrelationship of somatoform disorders and substance abuse The efficacy of various treatment modalities, including pharmacology and cognitive behavioral therapy Collaboration between primary care and mental health providers to maximize treatment outcomes Comprehensive, thoughtful, and up-to-date, Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders is a must-have both for researchers in the field and for clinicians with somatizing patients.

DSM-5® Self-Exam Questions: Test Questions for the Diagnostic Criteria elucidates DSM-5® through self-exam questions designed to test the reader's knowledge of the new edition's diagnostic criteria. Mental health professionals, ranging from clinicians and students to psychiatric nurses and social workers, will benefit from this substantive text's 300-plus questions. This book is a "must have" for anyone seeking to fully understand the changes brought about by the groundbreaking launch of DSM-5®. Some of the book's most beneficial features include: Self-exam questions and cases designed to test the reader's knowledge of conceptual changes to DSM-5® (e.g., autism spectrum disorder), specific changes to diagnoses (e.g., the integration of childhood disorders within main disorders), and diagnostic criteria (e.g., the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder and bipolar disorders). Questions about each diagnosis in DSM-5®, including the proposed diagnoses in Section III, which enable readers to teach themselves about new and potential future diagnoses. A contrast of DSM-5® diagnoses with DSM-IV-TR® to assist readers in quickly learning about the changes in diagnostic classes and criteria. Short answers that explain the rationale for each correct answer (diagnostic criteria sets from DSM-5® are included as appropriate, and readers are directed to DSM-5® for further information). Question answers containing important information on diagnostic classifications, criteria sets, diagnoses, codes, and severity, dimension of diagnosis, and culture, age, and gender. Straightforward, practical, and illustrative, DSM-5® Self-Exam Questions: Test Questions for the Diagnostic Criteria will successfully test and broaden the DSM-5® knowledge of all mental health professionals.

Beset by contradictions, somatoform and factitious disorders have an unusually long, rich, and colorful historical and clinical tradition. Yet, some of them have received only limited empirical investigation. This book continues that rich tradition by offering a broad and scholarly synthesis of the current knowledge -- and controversies -- about somatoform and factitious disorders. Here you'll find up-to-date, clinically focused overviews of these intriguing and often difficult-to-treat disorders. Recognized experts present the latest findings along with insightful recommendations and illustrative case studies on Somatization disorder -- The evolution and problems of diagnostic criteria (e.g., its focus on symptom counting), epidemiology, clinical features, etiologic considerations, differential diagnosis (e.g., contrasted with depressive and anxiety disorders), evaluation (use of questionnaires), and treatment considerations (psychotherapy, psychotropic medications). Hypochondriasis -- History, clinical features, theoretical models (psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and physiologic), research studies, and practical techniques for treatment (from pharmacotherapy to cognitive behavioral therapy to alternative treatments such as relaxation therapy). Body dysmorphic disorder -- History and prevalence, clinical features, treatment (including surgery and nonpsychiatric medical treatment), etiology and pathophysiology (its relationship to obsessive-compulsive, depressive, and eating disorders), and diagnosis and misdiagnosis. Conversion disorder -- Diagnostic criteria and clinical subtypes, history and definitions, models of symptom generation, functions served by conversion symptoms, associated features, epidemiology, demographic and disease course, comorbidity, differential diagnosis, and treatment (best done in collaboration with an internist, primary care physician, or neurologist). Factitious disorders (widely known as Munchausen syndrome, its most extreme subtype) -- Empirical evidence related to epidemiology and etiology; diagnosis, clinical description, prevalence, and associated costs; limitations of current approaches; the reliability and usefulness of differential diagnoses; comorbidity, etiology, and management. Both concise and thorough, this extensively annotated volume clarifies the issues surrounding these fascinating disorders and offers practical guidance and recommendations, highlighting the pressing need for further research to improve patient care. As such, it will prove compelling reading for practicing psychiatrists and other physicians in any clinical setting who want to better understand the baffling complexities of these distressing disorders.

The definitive treatment textbook in psychiatry, this fifth edition of Gabbard's Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders has been thoroughly restructured to reflect the new DSM-5® categories, preserving its value as a state-of-the-art resource and increasing its utility in the field. The editors have produced a volume that is both comprehensive and concise, meeting the needs of clinicians who prefer a single, user-friendly volume. In the service of brevity, the book focuses on treatment over diagnostic considerations, and addresses both empirically-validated treatments and accumulated clinical wisdom where research is lacking. Noteworthy features include the following: Content is organized according to DSM-5® categories to make for rapid retrieval of relevant treatment information for the busy clinician. Outcome studies and expert opinion are presented in an accessible way to help the clinician know what treatment to use for which disorder, and how to tailor the treatment to the patient. Content is restricted to the major psychiatric conditions seen in clinical practice while leaving out less common conditions and those that have limited outcome research related to the disorder, resulting in a more streamlined and affordable text. Chapters are meticulously referenced and include dozens of tables, figures, and other illustrative features that enhance comprehension and recall. An authoritative resource for psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses, and an outstanding reference for students in the mental health professions, Gabbard's Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders, Fifth Edition, will prove indispensable to clinicians seeking to provide excellent care while transitioning to a DSM-5® world.