Routledge Understanding and Caring for People with Schizophrenia: Fifteen Clinical Cases

This book challenges professional and public misconceptions of schizophrenia as an illness with intractable symptoms and inexorable mental deterioration, educating clinicians and researchers on the effectiveness of treatment to change the course of or prevent the onset of illness. The authors illustrate such effectiveness through fifteen case studies examining psychosis in diverse clients. These case studies are divided into the three phases of the illness―prodromal/clinical high risk, first-episode, chronic, and treatment-refractory―with accompanying analyses of the causes, symptoms, interventions and treatments. By depicting patients at different clinical stages of the illness, with accompanying explanations of how they got to that point, what might have been done to avoid – or has been done to achieve – this outcome, the reader will gain an appreciation of the nature of the illness and for the therapeutic potential of currently available treatments. Readers will learn about the various clinical aspects of schizophrenia and treatment including diagnosis, prognosis, clinical presentation, suicide risk, cognitive deficits, stigma, medication management, and psychosocial interventions. Review "Written by the pre-eminent leaders in the field of schizophrenia research with decades of clinical experience, this user-friendly book offers a cutting-edge, evidence-based compendium of all things psychosis – symptoms, treatment, diagnosis, and prognosis. Written for both the avid clinician and concerned family member, the authors seek to instill hope and discuss the effectiveness of treatment to change the course of this potentially devastating disease and, when possible, prevent the onset of illness altogether. A must-have for all psychiatrists!" Anna Yusim, MD, Chief Psychiatrist, Upper East Side Psychiatry; lecturer, Yale University Department of Psychiatry; distinguished fellow, American Psychiatric Association; Author, Fulfilled "The title of this wonderful book, 'Understanding and Caring for People with Schizophrenia: Fifteen Clinical Cases', does not begin to do justice to the breadth of topics and issues it covers. Besides focusing on the symptomatic presentation and treatment options (including medication, psychotherapy, and psychoeducation) for the prodromal, first-episode, and chronic stages of Schizophrenia, it expertly covers a wide range of other important topics, such as the heritability of Schizophrenia, violence and suicide, the impact of drug use, as well as sections focusing on important symptoms such as the various types of delusions (including exotic ones such as the Capgras delusion), hallucinations, negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. What makes the information contained in this book come alive is its reliance on interesting and compelling case material to illustrate the various topics, which should make this book especially appealing to students, clinicians-in-training, and patients and family members." Michael First, MD, professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University "Dr. Girgis and colleagues have produced a very useful addition to the literature on schizophrenia. The case history format makes the disease and its associated problems, come alive. The book will be especially useful for trainees in all mental health disciplines who wish to better understand this fascinating, if sometimes devastating, disease. The book is also accessible for individuals with schizophrenia and their families who wish to do a deeper dive into its details and to see that some cases are indeed treatable. Strongly recommended." E. Fuller Torrey, MD, author, Surviving Schizophrenia and American Psychosis "These internationally renowned mental health experts have written a remarkable book – one that is compelling to read, compassionate, and highly educational. Written without jargon, the text is easily understood by the general public while at the same time providing concise clinical pearls t