Understanding Schizophrenia: A Practical Guide for Patients, Families, and Health Care Professionals

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments Section 1 Facing Schizophrenia 1 Facing Schizophrenia: Quick Primer Section 2 What, Who, Why? 2 Core Clinical Features of Schizophrenia 3 What Is Not Schizophrenia? 4 Who Gets Schizophrenia? 5 How Is Schizophrenia Diagnosed? 6 What Is the Course and Prognosis of Schizophrenia? Section 3 Treatment 7 Medical Treatment of Schizophrenia 8 Common Medication Side Effects 9 Psychological and Rehabilitative Treatments 10 Treatment Nonadherence 11 Achieving Maximal Recovery Section 4 Coexisting with Schizophrenia 12 Life with Schizophrenia 13 Assembling Your Care Team 14 A Manual for Caregivers 15 Common Problems in Facing Schizophrenia 16 Managing Crises Section 5 Science of Schizophrenia 17 Biological Foundations of Schizophrenia 18 What Does the Future Hold? Glossary Section 6 Appendices Appendix A. Commonly Used Antipsychotics for Schizophrenia Appendix B. Very Brief History of Schizophrenia Appendix C. Recommended Resources Appendix D. Forms and Lists Index

About the Author :
Ravinder Reddy, MD, is adjunct professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He has been involved in psychiatric education for more than 25 years. Matcheri S. Keshavan, MD, FRCPC, MRCPsych, is Stanley Cobb Professor and vice chair for public psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School.

Review :
This is a resource to keep at hand—to guide people affected by schizophrenia to be proactive managers of the illness and to consult when there is a change or when facing bureaucratic or personal challenges. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Professionals and general readers. Knowledge concerning the various aspects of schizophrenia has been developing rapidly recently. Keeping up with this multifaceted progress can be a challenging task. Understanding Schizophrenia goes a long way toward producing a much-needed book in this vein. The authors have skillfully integrated relevant research findings and translated them into plain English for meaningful communication to persons with the illness and their family members . . . . From the beginning, the authors make clear that in many cases persons with a diagnosis of schizophrenia can lead a normal life, depending on appropriate treatment and the seriousness of the condition . . . they reaffirm that the traditional Kraepelinian view—that one cannot recover from schizophrenia—is no longer accepted, at least not for everyone with this disorder. . . . The volume provides practical, up-to-date information that should be helpful to anyone affected by, or otherwise interested in, schizophrenia. . . . The book is easy to read and conveys a plethora of valuable suggestions and helpful guidance for persons living with schizophrenia, their family members, and others who want to learn more about this condition, which has so often been portrayed as a mysterious and devastating disorder from which few were able to recover.