Review of Treatment of childhood disorders, 3rd edition.

Reviews the book, Treatment of childhood disorders, 3rd edition edited by Eric J. Mash and Russell A. Barkley (see record 2006-05090-000). This is an impressive compilation of chapters by distinguished authors in their respective fields, covering the major domains related to common childhood psychopathology, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, fear and anxiety, depression, mental retardation, autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, physical abuse and neglect, sexual abuse, substance use, and eating disorders. This landmark book, now in its third edition, provides the current state of knowledge about treatment intervention within these domains. This pioneering book continues to represent a major (and highly successful) undertaking to synthesize the wide literature base of treatment for common childhood disorders. Its ability to parsimoniously convey extensive information in a manner that is easily accessible to readers facilitates the advancement of treatment for childhood psychopathology by transferring treatment knowledge from the research laboratory to the clinical office. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Treatment and prevention of alcohol problems: A resource manual.

Reviews the book, Treatment and prevention of alcohol problems: A resource manual edited by W. Miles Cox (see record 1987-97300-000). A resource manual on alcohol problems that captures the state of the art in therapeutic and preventive techniques and in their underlying theoretical bases and empirical foundations is an extremely ambitious but much needed effort. This is precisely what Miles Cox has set out to do in the present volume. The volume consists of four sections: initiating treatment with chapters on beginning treatment, assessment, and medical aspects; specific treatment techniques, with chapters on behavioral treatment, building self-control, imagery and logotherapy, self-help groups, and craving for alcohol; associated problems and special populations with chapters on marital and family therapy, sexual problems, and culture-specific treatment; and early intervention and prevention including chapters on cognitive approaches to secondary prevention and prevention of alcohol problems. On the whole, the book lives up to its intentions. Although there are some gaps which prevent this book from being truly comprehensive, this volume will serve as a useful text in graduate courses for social workers, counselors, and psychologists. What is commendable about this book is that Cox has made a largely successful attempt, by pulling together many diverse literatures, to bridge the gulf that exists between service providers and research communities on the proper ways of helping people who are troubled by, or threaten to be troubled by, alcohol. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Treatment Planning in Psychotherapy: Taking the Guesswork Out of Clinical Care.

Reviews the book by Woody et al (see record 2002-06426-000, which outlines a step-by-step simple method by which clinicians can plan and evaluate the course and outcome of therapy. The authors outline their rationale for their "Planning and Assessment in Clinical Care (PACC)" system. Differences in clinical practice between university and health care settings can be quite surprising and possibly overwhelming, especially for the new clinician. The book has a number of strong points that will likely aid not only the individual therapist interested in planning and evaluating the course and outcome of their therapy with clients and patients, but also should help to increase the research productivity of psychologists working in a variety of service settings. Benefits that clients and patients are likely to receive as a result of therapy that is complemented by thorough, yet simple, planning and evaluation strategy. The book is comprised of 7 easy-to-read chapters with a valuable appendix containing a number of well-validated assessment measures. The reviewer believes the book to be well-suited for graduate students as an introductory textbook for a course in psychotherapy planning and evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological treatment of late-life anxiety: An empirical review.

This study provides a meta-analytic review of nonpharmacological interventions for late-life anxiety, focusing on treatment efficacy. Included in the analysis are studies in which a comparison was made either to a control condition or to another treatment. A total of 15 outcome studies, published or reported between January 1975 and January 2002, were identified involving 495 participants (mean age exceeding 55.0 years and a grand mean of 69.5 years) and providing 20 separate treatment interventions. The analysis indicated that psychological interventions were reliably more effective than no treatment on self-rated and clinician-rated measures of anxiety, yielding an effect size of .55. Maintenance of treatment gains (a minimum of 6 months follow-up) was insufficiently reported across studies to allow for a reliable demonstration of an overall estimate of long-term efficacy. It is concluded that psychological interventions produce significant improvements, but the analyses must be qualified by data limitations in the research synthesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Comprehensive casebook of cognitive therapy.

Reviews the book, Comprehensive casebook of cognitive therapy edited by Arthur Freeman and Frank W. Dattilio (see record 1993-97032-000). This volume details somewhat over 30 individual cases to illustrate how cognitive strategies can be applied to a wide range of presenting problems. The Casebook takes seriously its intent to be "comprehensive," offering case examples of several mental disorders. Each case begins with a briefing on the patient's background and presenting problems, but, according to the reviewer, editors Freeman and Dattilio have ably succeeded in keeping their authors focused primarily on the sequence of interventions that enables their patients to move from distress to more positive functioning. The reviewer believes that this tightly managed casebook will be helpful to both students in courses on cognitive therapy as well as the experienced therapist by clarifying the potential traps and the potential treasures inherent in cognitive approaches to treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based psychological treatments for late-life anxiety.

This project identified evidence-based psychotherapy treatments for anxiety disorders in older adults. The authors conducted a review of the geriatric anxiety treatment outcome literature by using specific coding criteria and identified 17 studies that met criteria for evidence-based treatments (EBTs). These studies reflected samples of adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or samples with mixed anxiety disorders or symptoms. Evidence was found for efficacy for 4 types of EBTs. Relaxation training, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and, to a lesser extent, supportive therapy and cognitive therapy have support for treating subjective anxiety symptoms and disorders. CBT for late-life GAD has garnered the most consistent support, and relaxation training represents an efficacious, relatively low-cost intervention. The authors provide a review of the strengths and limitations of this research literature, including a discussion of common assessment instruments. Continued investigation of EBTs is needed in clinical geriatric anxiety samples, given the small number of available studies. Future research should examine other therapy models and investigate the effects of psychotherapy on other anxiety disorders, such as phobias and posttraumatic stress disorder in older adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Head injury rehabilitation: Children and adolescents.

Reviews the book, Head injury rehabilitation: Children and adolescents by Mark Yivisaker. This book is intended to be a practical guide for professionals seeking concrete guidance in the difficult and frustrating search for effective treatment strategies for head injured patients. While maintaining a commitment to scholarship, the authors of the treatment chapters of this textbook have taken as their primary responsibility the clear presentation of a treatment philosophy as well as specific principles and techniques of remediation" (p. xvii). It is clear that the contributors of this volume, most of whom work together at the Rehabilitation Institute of Pittsburgh, labored long and hard to accomplish this goal and, as a result, they have produced a lucid and thorough volume. This book provides a very helpful and coherent account of pediatric head injury rehabilitation. No important topics are overlooked and, although some crucial areas are given fairly short shrift, the coverage is quite within the stated purpose of the work and the task that the authors set for themselves. I think that this book will prove to be a useful manual for neophytes to the head injury rehabilitation field, and to many parents of head injured children. It certainly should be required reading for all who choose to prepare themselves for professional work with head injured children. One final point: although not explicitly stated, the enormous investment of time and effort required by the head injured child and his or her family reflects a capacity that arises more from the heart than from the mind. This commitment can only come from a well-integrated and devoted team of professionals such as the group who authored this book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Geriatric rehabilitation.

Reviews the book, Geriatric Rehabilitation, edited by Bryan Kemp, Kenneth Brummel-Smith, and Joseph W. Ramsdell (1989). There is an increasing need for rehabilitation services for older adults and, consequently, a growing need for texts about geriatric rehabilitation. Compiling a single volume that effectively covers this diverse area is a challenge. Rehabilitation is not so much a specialized field of knowledge as it is an approach to health care focusing on the restoration of function. A text on geriatric rehabilitation therefore needs to include information on common disabling conditions of the elderly, therapeutic strategies used by a variety of disciplines including medicine, psychology, and physical and occupational therapy, and a conceptual framework for integrating misinformation. Geriatric Rehabilitation was created to provide such a text and, in general, has done so successfully. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Compte rendu d'L'insomnie: Traitement comportemental.

Reviews the book, L'insomnie: Traitement comportemental by Robert Ladouceur and Yves Gros-Louis (1984). The work offers a prospect broader than the medical vision which traditionally dominates the treatment of insomnia. More specifically, the work is articulated around two chapters. The first locates the relative source data of insomnia, and provides the criteria for a precise diagnosis, establishing a clear distinction between primary insomnia and secondary insomnia, and methods generally utilized to measure sleep. As for the second chapter, it is centered on the behavioral methods of treatment of insomnia. According to the authors, any treatment must be preceded by factual information on insomnia, to facilitate the application of the chosen method. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Behavioral approaches to medicine: Application and analysis.

Reviews the book, Behavioral approaches to medicine: Application and analysis edited by J. Regis McNamara (1979). In this book, McNamara has taken a different perspective, emphasizing the content of behavioral assessment and treatment as it applies to the activities of psychologists and other health professionals in medical settings. McNamara speaks of the interpenetration of behavior modification into medicine, much as one might speak of the use of behavior therapy in schools or of the application of behavioral psychology in prisons. Instead of involving the reader in a discussion of the nuances of definitions of fields such as health psychology or behavioral medicine, McNamara sticks with the idea of applying principles from a familiar area to particular problems that arise in a different area. Thus, the focus of the book is on practical problem-solving and on developing a behavioral conceptualization of health care problems. This book is very useful to the extent that it consistently presents this point of view. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Epilepsy: A handbook for the mental health professional.

Reviews the book, Epilepsy: A handbook for the mental health professional edited by Harry Sands (1982). The editor has gathered 10 contributors, each with a wealth of experience in the area of psychological issues in epilepsy. The book is designed to provide necessary information about epilepsy to "the core mental health discipline: psychology, psychiatry, social work, and psychiatric nursing, and to other collaborating disciplines such as rehabilitation and counseling." It certainly achieves this goal and has the potential of becoming a major reference source as well as textbook in the field. The book could be used as a handbook and reference book for specific problems with epileptics. However, its real strength is its potential use as a unified and comprehensive textbook on a broad range of rehabilitation psychology issues with the epileptic. As a text, it would be appropriate for a senior undergraduate-level or graduate-level course within the broad area of medical psychology. Many of the psychological principles and intervention strategies are applicable to other disabilities. Thus, if educators wish, they can use these chapters as a core model to be augmented by other references to other disabilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Panic disorder: Assessment and treatment through a wide-angle lens.

Reviews the book, Panic disorder: Assessment and treatment through a wide-angle lens by Frank M. Dattilio and Jesus A. Salas-Auvert (see record 2000-08332-000). Dattilio and Salas-Auvert have done a fine job providing a panoramic view of clinicians' current knowledge of panic disorder and a comprehensive summary of state-of-the-art assessment and treatment. For the clinician unfamiliar with or inexperienced in treating panic disorder, this book is an excellent place to begin. The volume is well organized, with sections covering the nature of panic, an overview of the various theoretical conceptualizations of panic, diagnosis and assessment, professional treatment options, and self-help interventions. Although the authors are firmly rooted in the cognitive-behavioral tradition, and are proponents of a biopsychosocial perspective, the underlying message of the book is to make a comprehensive assessment and to customize treatment; that is, to remain open and flexible to doing whatever works for the patient and the situation. This book is a valuable resource for clinicians at all levels of experience with panic disorder. Weaknesses are few. For the veteran and novice alike, it provides a thorough and organized presentation of an enormous literature. Particularly valuable are the demonstrations of integrated treatment technique that are illustrated by short case vignettes and an in-depth case study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Developments in the assessment and treatment of addictive behaviors.

Reviews the book, Developments in the assessment and treatment of addictive behaviors, edited by Ted D. Nirenberg and Stephan A. Maisto (see record 1987-98442-000). The editors identify two goals of this book: "The first is to provide a review of the recent treatment advances for each of the addictions. The second is to highlight similarities among the addictions in etiology, maintenance and treatment." My reading of the book prompted a sense of limited recent progress on treatment effectiveness and much important work yet to be done in understanding commonalities among addictive behaviors. The book's 15 chapters are organized into 4 parts: Introduction, Assessment of Addictive Behaviors, Treatment of Addictive Behaviors, and Special Issues. The variability of chapter quality was considerable, but the reviewer found at least one outstanding contribution in each part. Overall, the reviewer was disappointed that the book made only passing reference to the high prevalence of cannabis and cocaine abuse and omitted any mention of assessment or treatment of patients abusing these drugs in isolation or in combination with other addictive behaviors. On the other hand, by juxtaposing some provocative reviews of work on obesity and abuse of alcohol, opiates, and tobacco the authors at least succeed in raising the issue of commonality in a way that will hopefully encourage more integrated work in the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Facilitating treatment adherence: A practitioner's guidebook.

Reviews the book, Facilitating treatment adherence: A practitioner's guidebook by Donald Meichenbaum and Dennis C. Turk (see record 1987-98489-000). Any health care practitioner is likely to approach a book on how to increase adherence with interest; it is a topic that touches all professionals involved in clincial practice. As a clinical psychologist, I looked to this book to assist with issues facing me daily with clients--how to get them to do what both they and I agree would be beneficial to them and their overall well being. Meichenbaum and Turk promise a "how-to" guidebook and, generally, have adhered to this undertaking well. The authors begin with a section on the nature of the problem of adherence, including a discussion and definition of treatment adherence (as opposed to compliance, which suggests less of an active role by the client), its incidence and assessment. The second chapter in Part I examines the many possible factors that affect adherence. Part II turns to procedures that could be used to enhance adherence. Section III provides an integration of the procedures and discussion anticipating what may go wrong in applying the procedures. The last chapter is partly written with tongue in cheek--applying what they have stated about clients to health care providers and why they will not adhere to the recommendations made in the book. This book is thorough, practical, and timely, and it balances coverage of the relevant research with application to practices and discussion of clinical concerns. Given such a common problem, this book is long overdue, and in fact, much more research effort and clinical training should be placed in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)