Schizophrenia is one of the most severe psychiatric disorders, carrying with it significant stigma and a number of debilitating symptoms. While material on its "positive" symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, is readily available, its "negative" symptoms, which present heterogeneously as deficits across a variety of domains, are not nearly so well-documented and often go undiagnosed with no effective treatment. Given the poor functioning and outcomes which occur as a result of these symptoms, it is imperative they receive greater focus. Part of the Oxford Psychiatry Library (OPL) series, this concise pocketbook provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the definition, evaluation, and treatment of negative symptoms. Written by experts in the field, with key points at the beginning of each chapter for quick reference, this is an invaluable resource for any mental health care professional working with individuals affected by schizophrenia.

Part of the Oxford Psychiatry Library (OPL) series, this concise pocketbook provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the definition, evaluation, and treatment of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Portable and accessible for quick-reference, this is an invaluable resource for any mental health care professional treating schizophrenia.

The positive versus negative distinction of schizophrenic disorders has pro moted ongoing research. Phenomenology, psychopathology, biology, genet ics, pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment, psychosocial and longitudinal research: all have found a new focus of interest. This volume attempts to provide an unbiased picture of the status of American and Eu ropean knowledge regarding the positive/negative distinction. Researchers from North America and Europe describe the relation of modern concepts of positive and negative symptomatology to the original models of Rey nolds and Jackson. Integrating phenomenological, genetic, and biological factors, the authors depict current methods of assessing positive and nega tive symptomatology, differentiating between primary and secondary symp tomatology, and using pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment. The stability of positive and negative symptoms over time and evidence for the occurrence of separate positive and negative episodes over a long-term course of schizophrenia are extensively discussed in terms of their implica tions on the positive/negative construct. The relevance of the positive/nega tive dichotomy to child and adolescent schizophrenia is also debated. The main aim of this book is not to advocate a single concept and present only arguments supporting it, but to discuss important controversies. Prob lems concerning a concept cannot be solved by ignoring them. However, unanswered questions may be resolved through discussion, debate, and con structive compromise.

This is the first book to address the clinical and neurobiological interface between schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). There is growing evidence that obsessive-compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia are prevalent, persistent and characterized by a distinct pattern of familial inheritance, neurocognitive deficits and brain activation. This text provides guidelines for differential diagnosis of schizophrenic patients with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and patients with primary OCD alongside poor insight, psychotic features or schizotypal personality. Written by a leading expert in the coexistence of obsessive-compulsive and schizophrenic phenomena, Schizo-Obsessive Disorder uses numerous case studies to present diagnostic guidelines and to describe a recommended treatment algorithm, demystifying this complex disorder and aiding its effective management. The book is essential reading for psychiatrists, neurologists and the wider range of multidisciplinary mental health practitioners.

This popular manual presents an empirically tested format and ready-made curricula for skills training groups in a range of settings. Part I takes therapists and counselors step by step through assessing clients' existing skills, teaching new skills, and managing common treatment challenges. Part II comprises over 60 ready-to-photocopy skill sheets. Each sheet--essentially a complete lesson plan--explains the rationale for the skill at hand, breaks it down into smaller steps, suggests role-play scenarios, and highlights special considerations. Of special value for practitioners, the 8 1/2" x 11" format makes it easy to reproduce and use the practical materials in the book.

Schizophrenia is often associated with an inadequate response to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. How to treat patients who have an unsatisfactory response to anti-psychotics, including clozapine - which is unequivocally the most powerful antipsychotic medication for this recalcitrant population - remains a clinical conundrum. A range of adjunctive medications have been tried with mixed results; there has also been renewed interest in the role of neuromodulatory strategies, electroconvulsive therapy, and cognitive and vocational approaches. Perhaps a bright spot for the future lies in the evolution of pharmacogenetic approaches for individualized care. In this book, leading experts from Europe, Australia and the Americas provide a timely appraisal of treatments for the most severely ill schizophrenia patients. This clinically focused book is informed by the latest research on the neurobiology and treatment of schizophrenia. It is comprehensive in scope, covering current treatment options, various add-on approaches, and a range of psychosocial treatments. The contributors are respected experts who have combined their clinical experience with cutting-edge research to provide readers with authoritative information on fundamental aspects of clinical care for schizophrenia.