Abnormal Psychology

by William J Ray

In Abnormal Psychology, best-selling author William J. Ray brings together current perspectives concerning the manner in which the human mind, behavior, and experience can be understood. In addition to the traditional psychological literature, this book draws from work in the cognitive and affective neurosciences, epidemiology, ethology, and genetics. Ray focuses on unifying and integrating the biopsychosocial understandings of human behavior within a broader consideration of human culture and language as it applies to abnormal psychology. With coverage of DSM–5, ICD–11, and RDoC, the fully revised Third Edition puts even greater emphasis on the range of human experiences and medical comorbidities and includes additional references to representations of mental health in popular culture to connect readers with familiar examples. This title is accompanied by a complete teaching and learning package.

Genres: Psychology

703 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 17, 2019

Reviews

[Kathleen Fallon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive catch-all for the budding clinical psychologist or mental health professional. The chapters start with a look into the history of psychological terms and descriptors for the categorization of conditions. The text also lays out multi-dimensional approaches to understanding mental health due to recent advances in neuroscience and other psychological research. Particular attention is drawn to the debate which posits mental illness as a social construct and a facet of culture versus the universality of mental health disorders

All of the major disorders found in the DSM-5 are found here, with clear explanations for symptoms and treatments that are found to be useful for particular populations. It is a good companion to your handy DSM-5 to get a little more history, background and a look into several studies cited, which support a particular clinical approach. This textbook is getting me through my doctorate-level course in psychopathology and it's one textbook I can actually recommend.

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This textbook is written in easy to read language, includes capturing anecdotes that not only help create the picture of the diagnoses they are discussing but also create a more narrative feel in reading. I also noticed several references to media that were current like “to the bone” or classic like “no country for old men” and these examples were also very spot on and helpful in understanding the symptoms. Overall this is an easy to read introduction to abnormal psychology. Organized in a logical manner by history, and medical treatment types to all the current DSM listings. Each chapter had a consistent organization: anecdote, background, history/ cultural factors, evolutionary and genetic factors, brain differences (physiological factor), DSM categorization and changes from previous versions, and treatment. I recommend it for exactly the purpose it states: to learn an introduction to abnormal psychology.