information. This book aims to do this for practitioners, professionals in health, welfare, and education, and interested laypersons, including parents. This is no easy task, since the levels of technical knowledge vary from that of the special education teacher seeking information about the drugs that many such pupils will be receiving, to that of the modern young child and adolescent psychiatrist whose grasp of the difficult fields of pharmacokinetics (how drugs are absorbed, distributed, and eliminated) and neurotransmitter physiology (via which most psychoactive drugs work) is daunting to the editors, who grew up in the bucolic clinical-empirical era. Inevitably there are sections of the book that will prove too technical for any except the medically qualified, but considerable effort has been applied to make much of the text, especially that discussing the clinical uses and side effects of the drugs, comprehensible to anyone used to getting information by reading. We also take comfort in the fact that many of the major contributions in pediatric psychophar macology have been made by nonmedical professionals, notably psychologists, suggesting that an audience beyond the medically qualified is practicable. One other problem confronted us-whether to organize the book by psycho pathological symptoms (e.g., hyperactivity) and disorders (e.g., autism) or by drugs.

Incorporating the latest developments in pharmacology and therapy, this fully revised Second Edition is an ideal quick reference for those who prescribe psychotrophic drugs for young people. New and notable features include: discussions of new drugs and health supplements; revised diagnostic terminology that accords with current DSM-IV nomenclature; reports on anti-epileptic medications; guidelines for the appropriate use of psychoactive medications; and instruction on the monitoring of physical, behavioral, and cognitive effects of various drugs. The handy spiral format makes the book easy to use.

In the eight years since the publication of the second edition of this Guide, psycho phannacotherapy has made many advances not only through the discovery of new medications but by the effective directing of their use to an ever-increasing variety of clinical disorders. These welcome developments are reflected in the concurrent growth and development of the Guide itself, which now enters adulthood with renewed vigor. Under the thoughtful and scholarly leadership of Dr. Alan Gelenberg, the third edition has undergone a significant transformation designed to meet the needs of the modem clinician. The panel of contributors is nearly double that of the former edition with the addition of nine new authors, who have helped in the major revision and rewriting of the text and in a broadening of the topics included. As a conse quence, the reader is assured of a thorough and thoroughly up-to-date coverage of current psychopharmacology that is both accurate and aimed at clinical utility. Having reached maturity, the third edition, while maintaining the lineaments of its earlier versions, is a considerably expanded and strengthened guide to treatment. Although now more encyclopedic in content, the new Practitioner' s Guide to Psy choactive Drugs retains the virtues of a clinical vade mecum that informed its predecessors and have eamed it a place by the patient's bedside for weIl over a decade. One may confidently anticipate its long and flourishing career in the years ahead. John C. Nemiah, M.D.

Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health problems in childhood. In this timely book, an international team of psychiatrists and psychologists review the most recent theoretical and empirical developments in the field and indicate how these may inform research and clinical practice. Following a historical introduction, chapters review conceptual and management issues, including cognitive, neurobiological, learning and developmental processes, and the influence of the peer group and family. Phenomenology, classification and assessment are covered, as are clinical course, intervention and outcome, with attention to both pharmacological and psychosocial treatment approaches. For clinicians and researchers this is an authoritative guide to the understanding and assessment of anxiety disorders in the young, and will appeal to all mental health professionals involved with this age group.

The aim of this book on psychotherapies with children and families is to present a comprehensive overview of the current array of intervention approaches in the child mental health field. There is a focus on the integration of theory, research, and practice throughout the book. The book proceeds from the more global pre sentations of basic theoretical approaches to applications of these approaches with specific problems and populations. It then presents more integrated intervention approaches and overviews of the research literature. One of the unique features of this book is its focus on future directions for each approach, both in clinical prac tice and in research. A second unique feature is its structured format across di verse approaches with a focus on empirical validation of approaches. Another innovation is the presentation of interventions that integrate major components of different theoretical approaches. Thus, the book reflects the current trends in the field of interventions with specific problems and populations, empirical valida tion of the approach, and the integration of treatment approaches. There are five major sections in this book. Part I consists of four chapters that address a variety of issues related to child psychotherapy. Chapter 1 by the editors examines the historical roots of child psychotherapy and explores current trends in the treatment of diverse child disorders. It emphasizes the movement to "treat ments that work" and sets the stage for the chapters that follow.

The field of child and adolescent psychopharmacology is rapidly growing, but psychopharmacological treatments for children cannot be straightforwardly extrapolated from adult studies, which presents clinicians with assessment and prescribing challenges. This important book synthesises research findings about drug treatment of a broad range of psychiatric disorders in children, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar mania, aggression in pervasive developmental disorder, Tourette's syndrome and substance abuse. They examine the issues of tolerability and efficacy, and appropriate use, within a social and developmental context. For each disorder, pharmacotherapy is discussed in the wider context of neurobiology, etiology, diagnosis and treatment. This will be essential reading for all mental health professionals to inform practice and improve patient outcomes.

Reviews the latest evidence on the psychiatric disorders and behavioral problems of those with coexisting intellectual and developmental disorders.