Author: Femi Oyebode
Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences
ISBN: 0702047805
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 500
Book Description
SIMS' SYMPTOMS IN THE MIND has, since its first publication in 1988, become established as the leading introductory textbook on clinical psychopathology. This new edition has been fully updated to include advances in neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience and changes can be found in the chapters on memory disturbance, disorders of time, pathology of perception, disorders of speech and language, affect and emotional disorders, and disorders of volition and execution. In some cases, novel classifications of the abnormalities under consideration have been provided together with additional pathological phenomena - including palinopsia, akinetopsia, zeitraffer phenomenon, exosomesthesia - many of which have been rediscovered or imported from neurology. The popular and distinctive features are the use of figures, tables and illustrative case examples which have been further enhanced with additional case examples from the classical literature, autobiographical narratives and fiction. New section headings provide firmer thematic unity to the content Check boxes summarize important points such as classification of particular areas Additional examples of psychopathology are included which are drawn from a wide source including fiction, autobiography and clinical textbooks Includes an extended range of abnormalities, including those which have previously been neglected, such as alloaesthesia, palinaptia, teleopsia, pelopsia, akinetopsia, palinopsia, and paraprosopia Fully updated description of the theoretical aspects of memory and its disturbance Fully integrated neuropsychological concepts of imagery and internal mental representations in the chapter on abnormalities of perception
Sims' Symptoms in the Mind
Author: Femi Oyebode
Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences
ISBN: 0702047805
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 500
Book Description
SIMS' SYMPTOMS IN THE MIND has, since its first publication in 1988, become established as the leading introductory textbook on clinical psychopathology. This new edition has been fully updated to include advances in neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience and changes can be found in the chapters on memory disturbance, disorders of time, pathology of perception, disorders of speech and language, affect and emotional disorders, and disorders of volition and execution. In some cases, novel classifications of the abnormalities under consideration have been provided together with additional pathological phenomena - including palinopsia, akinetopsia, zeitraffer phenomenon, exosomesthesia - many of which have been rediscovered or imported from neurology. The popular and distinctive features are the use of figures, tables and illustrative case examples which have been further enhanced with additional case examples from the classical literature, autobiographical narratives and fiction. New section headings provide firmer thematic unity to the content Check boxes summarize important points such as classification of particular areas Additional examples of psychopathology are included which are drawn from a wide source including fiction, autobiography and clinical textbooks Includes an extended range of abnormalities, including those which have previously been neglected, such as alloaesthesia, palinaptia, teleopsia, pelopsia, akinetopsia, palinopsia, and paraprosopia Fully updated description of the theoretical aspects of memory and its disturbance Fully integrated neuropsychological concepts of imagery and internal mental representations in the chapter on abnormalities of perception
Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences
ISBN: 0702047805
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 500
Book Description
SIMS' SYMPTOMS IN THE MIND has, since its first publication in 1988, become established as the leading introductory textbook on clinical psychopathology. This new edition has been fully updated to include advances in neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience and changes can be found in the chapters on memory disturbance, disorders of time, pathology of perception, disorders of speech and language, affect and emotional disorders, and disorders of volition and execution. In some cases, novel classifications of the abnormalities under consideration have been provided together with additional pathological phenomena - including palinopsia, akinetopsia, zeitraffer phenomenon, exosomesthesia - many of which have been rediscovered or imported from neurology. The popular and distinctive features are the use of figures, tables and illustrative case examples which have been further enhanced with additional case examples from the classical literature, autobiographical narratives and fiction. New section headings provide firmer thematic unity to the content Check boxes summarize important points such as classification of particular areas Additional examples of psychopathology are included which are drawn from a wide source including fiction, autobiography and clinical textbooks Includes an extended range of abnormalities, including those which have previously been neglected, such as alloaesthesia, palinaptia, teleopsia, pelopsia, akinetopsia, palinopsia, and paraprosopia Fully updated description of the theoretical aspects of memory and its disturbance Fully integrated neuropsychological concepts of imagery and internal mental representations in the chapter on abnormalities of perception
Sims' Symptoms in the Mind E-Book
Author: Femi Oyebode
Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences
ISBN: 0702055557
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 417
Book Description
SIMS' SYMPTOMS IN THE MIND has, since its first publication in 1988, become established as the leading introductory textbook on clinical psychopathology, defining, clarifying and describing the main symptoms and syndromes of mental illness seen in clinical practice. Now fully revised and updated, it offers essential reading for psychiatric trainees and an invaluable reference for psychiatrists of all grades. It has also come to be widely appreciated by clinical psychologists, allied mental health professionals and researchers in this field. Comprehensive and accessible overview of clinical psychopathology not found anywhere else Illustrates key principles of psychopathology with examples drawn from a wide source, including fiction, autobiography and clinical textbooks Fully updated throughout, taking account of advances in the understanding of cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, revised legislation, changing classificatory concepts and evolving cultural aspects of psychiatry Improved presentation, including new chapter and key point summaries, will help those searching for quick information without losing the rich writing style for which the book is so well known and appreciated Bonus ancillary content, including: Patient interview scenarios exploring key themes (videos with transcripts) Author podcasts (audio) to expand and clarify core topics Interactive question and answer sections for each chapter, to test your understanding and aid revision of essential areas
Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences
ISBN: 0702055557
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 417
Book Description
SIMS' SYMPTOMS IN THE MIND has, since its first publication in 1988, become established as the leading introductory textbook on clinical psychopathology, defining, clarifying and describing the main symptoms and syndromes of mental illness seen in clinical practice. Now fully revised and updated, it offers essential reading for psychiatric trainees and an invaluable reference for psychiatrists of all grades. It has also come to be widely appreciated by clinical psychologists, allied mental health professionals and researchers in this field. Comprehensive and accessible overview of clinical psychopathology not found anywhere else Illustrates key principles of psychopathology with examples drawn from a wide source, including fiction, autobiography and clinical textbooks Fully updated throughout, taking account of advances in the understanding of cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, revised legislation, changing classificatory concepts and evolving cultural aspects of psychiatry Improved presentation, including new chapter and key point summaries, will help those searching for quick information without losing the rich writing style for which the book is so well known and appreciated Bonus ancillary content, including: Patient interview scenarios exploring key themes (videos with transcripts) Author podcasts (audio) to expand and clarify core topics Interactive question and answer sections for each chapter, to test your understanding and aid revision of essential areas
Sims' Symptoms in the Mind: Textbook of Descriptive Psychopathology E-Book
Author: Femi Oyebode
Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences
ISBN: 070208526X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 379
Book Description
Psychopathology – the study of abnormal mental states – is a foundational discipline of psychiatry that is formidable to master. Since 1988, Sims' Symptoms in the Mind has been the leading introductory textbook in this area and provides the conceptual backbone needed by every psychiatrist in training. It defines and explains the main symptoms and syndromes of mental illness encountered in clinical practice. Now in its seventh edition, the text has been fully revised and updated by renowned psychiatry professor Femi Oyebode. It provides a masterful introduction to this difficult area that will challenge the reader intellectually, while at the same time supporting his or her learning. With a combination of accessible text and audiovisual materials in the online ebook, this is the standard postgraduate text for psychiatric trainees as well as a valued reference for academics, clinical psychiatrists and psychologists, allied health professionals, and researchers. - Complete and practical overview of clinical psychopathology - New chapter on the emerging area of abnormalities of aesthetic sense - Expanded information on musical hallucinations, erotomania, abnormalities of the form of thinking, and the intriguing nature of gesture and its disturbance - Online videos and podcasts covering interviewing techniques and tips - Multiple choice questions and extended answers, offering different ways to learn - Fully updated with new knowledge, concepts and theoretical and explanatory models
Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences
ISBN: 070208526X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 379
Book Description
Psychopathology – the study of abnormal mental states – is a foundational discipline of psychiatry that is formidable to master. Since 1988, Sims' Symptoms in the Mind has been the leading introductory textbook in this area and provides the conceptual backbone needed by every psychiatrist in training. It defines and explains the main symptoms and syndromes of mental illness encountered in clinical practice. Now in its seventh edition, the text has been fully revised and updated by renowned psychiatry professor Femi Oyebode. It provides a masterful introduction to this difficult area that will challenge the reader intellectually, while at the same time supporting his or her learning. With a combination of accessible text and audiovisual materials in the online ebook, this is the standard postgraduate text for psychiatric trainees as well as a valued reference for academics, clinical psychiatrists and psychologists, allied health professionals, and researchers. - Complete and practical overview of clinical psychopathology - New chapter on the emerging area of abnormalities of aesthetic sense - Expanded information on musical hallucinations, erotomania, abnormalities of the form of thinking, and the intriguing nature of gesture and its disturbance - Online videos and podcasts covering interviewing techniques and tips - Multiple choice questions and extended answers, offering different ways to learn - Fully updated with new knowledge, concepts and theoretical and explanatory models
Disturbed Consciousness
Author: Rocco J. Gennaro
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262330229
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 385
Book Description
Essays defend, discuss, and critique specific theories of consciousness with respect to various psychopathologies. In Disturbed Consciousness, philosophers and other scholars examine various psychopathologies in light of specific philosophical theories of consciousness. The contributing authors—some of them discussing or defending their own theoretical work—consider not only how a theory of consciousness can account for a specific psychopathological condition but also how the characteristics of a psychopathology might challenge such a theory. Thus one essay defends the higher-order thought (HOT) theory of consciousness against the charge that it cannot account for somatoparaphrenia (a delusion in which one denies ownership of a limb). Another essay argues that various attempts to explain away such anomalies within subjective theories of consciousness fail. Other essays consider such topics as the application of a model of unified consciousness to cases of brain bisection and dissociative identity disorder; prefrontal and parietal underconnectivity in autism and other psychopathologies; self-deception and the self-model theory of subjectivity; schizophrenia and the vehicle theory of consciousness; and a shift in emphasis away from an internal (or brainbound) approach to psychopathology to an interactive one. Each essay offers a distinctive perspective from the intersection of philosophy, consciousness research, and psychiatry. Contributors Alexandre Billon, Andrew Brook, Paula Droege, Rocco J. Gennaro, Philip Gerrans, William Hirstein, Jakob Hohwy, Uriah Kriegel, Timothy Lane, Thomas Metzinger, Erik Myin, Inez Myin-Germeys, Myrto Mylopoulos, Gerard O'Brien, Jon Opie, J. Kevin O'Regan, Iuliia Pliushch, Robert Van Gulick
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262330229
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 385
Book Description
Essays defend, discuss, and critique specific theories of consciousness with respect to various psychopathologies. In Disturbed Consciousness, philosophers and other scholars examine various psychopathologies in light of specific philosophical theories of consciousness. The contributing authors—some of them discussing or defending their own theoretical work—consider not only how a theory of consciousness can account for a specific psychopathological condition but also how the characteristics of a psychopathology might challenge such a theory. Thus one essay defends the higher-order thought (HOT) theory of consciousness against the charge that it cannot account for somatoparaphrenia (a delusion in which one denies ownership of a limb). Another essay argues that various attempts to explain away such anomalies within subjective theories of consciousness fail. Other essays consider such topics as the application of a model of unified consciousness to cases of brain bisection and dissociative identity disorder; prefrontal and parietal underconnectivity in autism and other psychopathologies; self-deception and the self-model theory of subjectivity; schizophrenia and the vehicle theory of consciousness; and a shift in emphasis away from an internal (or brainbound) approach to psychopathology to an interactive one. Each essay offers a distinctive perspective from the intersection of philosophy, consciousness research, and psychiatry. Contributors Alexandre Billon, Andrew Brook, Paula Droege, Rocco J. Gennaro, Philip Gerrans, William Hirstein, Jakob Hohwy, Uriah Kriegel, Timothy Lane, Thomas Metzinger, Erik Myin, Inez Myin-Germeys, Myrto Mylopoulos, Gerard O'Brien, Jon Opie, J. Kevin O'Regan, Iuliia Pliushch, Robert Van Gulick
Fish's Clinical Psychopathology
Author: Patricia Casey
Publisher: RCPsych Publications
ISBN: 1108663540
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 149
Book Description
Psychopathology lies at the centre of effective psychiatric practice and mental health care, and Fish's Clinical Psychopathology has shaped the training and clinical practice of psychiatrists for over fifty years. The fourth edition of this modern classic presents the clinical descriptions and psychopathological insights of Fish's to a new generation of students and practitioners. It includes recent revisions of diagnostic classification systems, as well as new chapters that consider the controversies of classifying psychiatric disorder and the fundamental role and uses of psychopathology. Clear and readable, it provides concise descriptions of the signs and symptoms of mental illness and astute accounts of the varied manifestations of disordered psychological function, and is designed for use in clinical practice. An essential text for students of medicine, trainees in psychiatry and practising psychiatrists, it will also be useful to psychiatric nurses, mental health social workers and clinical psychologists.
Publisher: RCPsych Publications
ISBN: 1108663540
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 149
Book Description
Psychopathology lies at the centre of effective psychiatric practice and mental health care, and Fish's Clinical Psychopathology has shaped the training and clinical practice of psychiatrists for over fifty years. The fourth edition of this modern classic presents the clinical descriptions and psychopathological insights of Fish's to a new generation of students and practitioners. It includes recent revisions of diagnostic classification systems, as well as new chapters that consider the controversies of classifying psychiatric disorder and the fundamental role and uses of psychopathology. Clear and readable, it provides concise descriptions of the signs and symptoms of mental illness and astute accounts of the varied manifestations of disordered psychological function, and is designed for use in clinical practice. An essential text for students of medicine, trainees in psychiatry and practising psychiatrists, it will also be useful to psychiatric nurses, mental health social workers and clinical psychologists.
Next Level
Author: Stacy T. Sims, PhD
Publisher: Rodale Books
ISBN: 0593233166
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
A comprehensive, physiology-based guide to peak performance for active women approaching or experiencing menopause—from the author of Roar, renowned exercise and nutrition scientist Dr. Stacy Sims For active women, menopause hits hard. Overnight, your body doesn’t feel like the one you know and love anymore—you’re battling new symptoms, might be gaining weight, losing endurance and strength, and taking longer to bounce back from workouts that used to be easy. The things that have always kept you fit and healthy just seem to stop working the way they used to. But menopause doesn’t have to be the end of you kicking ass at the gym, on the trail, in the saddle, or wherever you work out. Once you understand your physiology, you can work with it—not against it—to optimize your performance. That’s where Stacy Sims, PhD comes in. In Next Level, you’ll learn the underlying causes of menopause: the hormonal changes that are causing all the symptoms you’re feeling, and their impact on your wellness and performance. Then, what you really came for—what to do about it. Inside you’ll find science-backed advice about training, nutrition, sleep and recovery and supplements, as well as sample exercise routines, meal plans, macronutrient planning charts, and case studies from real women Stacy has coached through the transition. It’s the ultimate guide to navigating the Next Level.
Publisher: Rodale Books
ISBN: 0593233166
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
A comprehensive, physiology-based guide to peak performance for active women approaching or experiencing menopause—from the author of Roar, renowned exercise and nutrition scientist Dr. Stacy Sims For active women, menopause hits hard. Overnight, your body doesn’t feel like the one you know and love anymore—you’re battling new symptoms, might be gaining weight, losing endurance and strength, and taking longer to bounce back from workouts that used to be easy. The things that have always kept you fit and healthy just seem to stop working the way they used to. But menopause doesn’t have to be the end of you kicking ass at the gym, on the trail, in the saddle, or wherever you work out. Once you understand your physiology, you can work with it—not against it—to optimize your performance. That’s where Stacy Sims, PhD comes in. In Next Level, you’ll learn the underlying causes of menopause: the hormonal changes that are causing all the symptoms you’re feeling, and their impact on your wellness and performance. Then, what you really came for—what to do about it. Inside you’ll find science-backed advice about training, nutrition, sleep and recovery and supplements, as well as sample exercise routines, meal plans, macronutrient planning charts, and case studies from real women Stacy has coached through the transition. It’s the ultimate guide to navigating the Next Level.
Psychosis and Near Psychosis
Author: Eric R. Marcus
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461391970
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 245
Book Description
Psychosis and Near Psychosis offers a psychoanalytically-based approach to an integrated treatment of psychosis and near psychosis, achieved by organizing psychotherapy, medication, hospital and milieu interventions into a powerful therapeutic tool. The author navigates confidently between psychiatric and psychoanalytic approaches, between biological evidence and psychological assessments. According to Dr. Eric Marcus, since the past, so-called heroic psychoanalyses with psychotic patients have clearly been shown to fail, the time is now ripe again to discuss psychosis in terms of the broadened psychoanalytic theory, with the support of medication and a better understanding of the neuropsychological factors involved. This book, which maps out mental illness in concrete and innovative ways, will interest all researchers and clinicians eager to find the best means, both practical and theoretical, to initiate satisfying psychiatric therapies.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461391970
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 245
Book Description
Psychosis and Near Psychosis offers a psychoanalytically-based approach to an integrated treatment of psychosis and near psychosis, achieved by organizing psychotherapy, medication, hospital and milieu interventions into a powerful therapeutic tool. The author navigates confidently between psychiatric and psychoanalytic approaches, between biological evidence and psychological assessments. According to Dr. Eric Marcus, since the past, so-called heroic psychoanalyses with psychotic patients have clearly been shown to fail, the time is now ripe again to discuss psychosis in terms of the broadened psychoanalytic theory, with the support of medication and a better understanding of the neuropsychological factors involved. This book, which maps out mental illness in concrete and innovative ways, will interest all researchers and clinicians eager to find the best means, both practical and theoretical, to initiate satisfying psychiatric therapies.
The Psychiatric Mental Status Examination
Author: Paula T. Trzepacz
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198022808
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 215
Book Description
Developed from years of teaching psychiatry to medical students and residents, this comprehensive text devoted solely to describing the mental status examination (MSE) fills a void in the teaching literature and will be valuable to both students first learning about the MSE and seasoned clinicians seeking an informative reference. The introductory chapter offers basic advice on interviewing patients and eliciting information. Six major sections of the MSE follow and are thoroughly described with a chapter devoted to each: Appearance, Attitude, Activity; Mood and Affect; Speech and Language; Thought Content, Thought Process, and Perception; Cognition; and Insight and Judgment. Each chapter lists a detailed definition of reference for students describing their findings, and are an insightful review even for experienced practitioners. The clinical relevance of mental status abnormalities is illustrated through frequent examples of disorders that can cause the particular signs and symptoms defined in each chapter. A final chapter describing fictional case histories with hypothetical examples of written mental status reports will be particularly useful for those learning to write such reports. This text is an important addition to the libraries of students and practitioners who work with psychiatric patients and should help to simplify and organize a challenging task.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198022808
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 215
Book Description
Developed from years of teaching psychiatry to medical students and residents, this comprehensive text devoted solely to describing the mental status examination (MSE) fills a void in the teaching literature and will be valuable to both students first learning about the MSE and seasoned clinicians seeking an informative reference. The introductory chapter offers basic advice on interviewing patients and eliciting information. Six major sections of the MSE follow and are thoroughly described with a chapter devoted to each: Appearance, Attitude, Activity; Mood and Affect; Speech and Language; Thought Content, Thought Process, and Perception; Cognition; and Insight and Judgment. Each chapter lists a detailed definition of reference for students describing their findings, and are an insightful review even for experienced practitioners. The clinical relevance of mental status abnormalities is illustrated through frequent examples of disorders that can cause the particular signs and symptoms defined in each chapter. A final chapter describing fictional case histories with hypothetical examples of written mental status reports will be particularly useful for those learning to write such reports. This text is an important addition to the libraries of students and practitioners who work with psychiatric patients and should help to simplify and organize a challenging task.
The Psychiatric Interview
Author: Daniel J. Carlat
Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ISBN: 9780781751865
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 340
Book Description
Revised and updated, this practical handbook is a succinct how-to guide to the psychiatric interview. In a conversational style with many clinical vignettes, Dr. Carlat outlines effective techniques for approaching threatening topics, improving patient recall, dealing with challenging patients, obtaining the psychiatric history, and interviewing for diagnosis and treatment. This edition features updated chapters on the major psychiatric disorders, new chapters on the malingering patient and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and new clinical vignettes. Easy-to-photocopy appendices include data forms, patient education handouts, and other frequently referenced information. Pocket cards that accompany the book provide a portable quick-reference to often needed facts.
Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ISBN: 9780781751865
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 340
Book Description
Revised and updated, this practical handbook is a succinct how-to guide to the psychiatric interview. In a conversational style with many clinical vignettes, Dr. Carlat outlines effective techniques for approaching threatening topics, improving patient recall, dealing with challenging patients, obtaining the psychiatric history, and interviewing for diagnosis and treatment. This edition features updated chapters on the major psychiatric disorders, new chapters on the malingering patient and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and new clinical vignettes. Easy-to-photocopy appendices include data forms, patient education handouts, and other frequently referenced information. Pocket cards that accompany the book provide a portable quick-reference to often needed facts.
Is Faith Delusion?
Author: Andrew Sims
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1441129219
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
Is faith delusion? Is religion bad for your health? How, in a scientifically and technologically advanced age, can people still believe in God/spirit/'other'? Clearly not all believers are primitive and ill-educated; an alternative explanation is that they must be mad, or at least severely neurotic (as suggested by Freud). This book starts by looking at, and giving reasons for, the connection and the division between Christian faith and psychiatry. It asks whether science challenges Christians involved with psychiatry, as patients or professionals, and whether the spiritual needs of patients are recognised. The author examines the scope and use of the neuro-sciences and considers cause and effect, natural selection and determinism. He explores the overlap (and the difference) between psychiatric symptoms and religious belief, the possible association between demon possession and mental illness, and the idea that some people are intrinsically religious and some are not. The variations of personality are examined, with their implications for belief. Posited as a statement, that faith is delusion is always hostile, but outcome studies (reviewed here) show that in general religious belief and practice convey good mental health. Religious faith and mental illness are different, and their concepts come from different world-views. A consideration of them in relation to each other is long overdue. The author is a former Professor of Psychiatry and President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and has also been Chairman of their Spirituality and Psychiatry Special Interest Group, so is exceptionally well qualified to address the subject. Although the book is technically proficient, it is aimed at the general reader and is illustrated with stories, brief case histories and anecdotes.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1441129219
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
Is faith delusion? Is religion bad for your health? How, in a scientifically and technologically advanced age, can people still believe in God/spirit/'other'? Clearly not all believers are primitive and ill-educated; an alternative explanation is that they must be mad, or at least severely neurotic (as suggested by Freud). This book starts by looking at, and giving reasons for, the connection and the division between Christian faith and psychiatry. It asks whether science challenges Christians involved with psychiatry, as patients or professionals, and whether the spiritual needs of patients are recognised. The author examines the scope and use of the neuro-sciences and considers cause and effect, natural selection and determinism. He explores the overlap (and the difference) between psychiatric symptoms and religious belief, the possible association between demon possession and mental illness, and the idea that some people are intrinsically religious and some are not. The variations of personality are examined, with their implications for belief. Posited as a statement, that faith is delusion is always hostile, but outcome studies (reviewed here) show that in general religious belief and practice convey good mental health. Religious faith and mental illness are different, and their concepts come from different world-views. A consideration of them in relation to each other is long overdue. The author is a former Professor of Psychiatry and President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and has also been Chairman of their Spirituality and Psychiatry Special Interest Group, so is exceptionally well qualified to address the subject. Although the book is technically proficient, it is aimed at the general reader and is illustrated with stories, brief case histories and anecdotes.