Psychopathology: History, Diagnosis, and Empirical Foundations

by W. Edward Craighead, David J. Miklowitz, Linda W. Craighead

Edited and written by true leaders in the field, Psychopathology provides comprehensive coverage of adult psychopathology, including an overview of the topic in the context of the DSM. Individual chapters cover the history, theory, and assessment of Axis I and Axis II adult disorders such as panic disorder, social anxiety, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder.

Genres: Psychology

704 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Elyse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This textbook does what it's supposed to do - it's a dense summary of some of the most common forms of psychopathology - including diagnostic and assessment information and treatment. There is a focus on the DSM 5 - but some of the best chapters included brief historical information about the concepts as well as ICD-10 diagnostic information. There are different authors for each chapter - so they vary greatly in their quality. The Borderline Personality Disorder chapter stood out as a good one. The Alcohol Use Disorder chapter seemed very limited with not enough focus on the systemic factors influencing substance dependence. As a whole it was a little bit light on discussion of personality disorders. But all-in-all it served its purpose and was direct and to-the-point. I appreciated when case studies were included to illustrate the information.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was packed with so much interesting and irrelevant information. The authors explained too many things for too long and would always end their explanations with "but more research is needed," "not much information," or even "results have been mixed.".

That's science for you.

But it was still very interesting and taught me a lot about psychopathology and mental disorders. I would not recommend it, though.

[Lewis White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, readable, critical, lots of evidence and further reading. Balanced between acknowledging critique whilst clearly articulating argument. I disagree with thier outcome - endorsement for the DSM. But agree entirely with their process of rigorous examination.

[Olivia Godwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not ashamed to say that I loved this textbook.