Oxford University Press Stress and Mental Disorders: Insights from Animal Models

Stress has been recognized as an important factor in the development or recurrence of various mental disorders, from major depressive disorder to bipolar disorder to anxiety disorders. Stressful stimuli also appear to exert their effects by acting upon individuals with susceptible genotypes. Over the past 50 years, animal models have been developed to study these dynamic interactions between stressful stimuli and genetically susceptible individuals during prenatal and postnatal development and into adulthood. Stress and Mental Disorders: Insights from Animal Models begins with a discussion of the history of psychiatric diagnosis and the recent goal of moving toward precision psychiatry, followed by a review of clinical research on connections between stressful stimuli and the development of psychiatric disorders. Chapters are also included on neuroendocrine, immune, and brain systems involved in responses to stress. Additional chapters focus on the development of animal models in psychiatry and the susceptibility of the developing organism to stressful stimuli. Subsequent chapters are devoted to animal models of specific stress-sensitive psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These chapters also focus on identification of promising molecular targets for development of new drug therapies. The section concludes with a chapter on animal models of resilience to stress-induced behavioral alterations as a newer approach to understanding why some animals are susceptible to stress and others are resilient, even though they are essentially genetically identical. The final chapter discusses how these basic laboratory studies are providing promising leads for future breakthroughs in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. Review This is an extremely useful resource for any professional working in the mental health field. What is particularly strong about the book is that it covers all the mental health research needed for deciding what treatments are to be considered empirically supported. Highly recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. ― D. C. Marston, CHOICEMcCarty provides a well-written and comprehensive deep-dive into the evidence for interactions between stress and mental illness, stressing the importance of research into biological mechanisms in animal models. The volume presents a thorough, balanced and accessible review of a complex and continually evolving field, exploring plausible roles for stress in schizophrenia, autism, bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression and PTSD. This is a must-read for those interested in understanding the link between stress and disease."-James P. Herman, PhD, Flor van Maanen Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati College of MedicineA comprehensive and readable overview of emerging knowledge about how stress affects the brain of vulnerable individuals to precipitate mental disorders. Particularly important is the discussion of the contributions as well as limitations of animal models to this new knowledge."-Bruce S. McEwen, PhD, Alfred E. Mirsky Professor and Head, Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller UniversityMcCarty's book is an insightful exploration of the historical underpinnings of our current understanding of the scientific concept of stress. He provides a thoughtful and detailed description of how we came to our current understanding of the role of stress in mental disorders. This book challenges us to think more deeply about the role of stress in mental health, and is informative not just for the newcomer but also for those engaged in the study of stress in mental health. Each chapter brings richness and details not only about the science behind our understanding of stress in mental health but als