Review of Psychological stress and psychopathology.

Presents a review of Psychological Stress and Psychopathology, edited by Richard W. J. Neufeld (1982). This volume presents a collection of 12 chapters on different aspects of the association between stress and psychological disorder. Each contribution is made by acknowledged experts in their fields, and the total collection represents an excellent and authoritative overview of the present state of our knowledge of the influence of stressors on mental health. The book falls into four main sections, the first two of which deal with the role of stress factors in precipitating or enhancing vulnerability to schizophrenia and depression. The third part encompasses more theoretical considerations on broader issues raised by stress research. The book closes with a fourth section on the efficacy of various treatment interventions for stress-related maladaptive behaviours. This text reminds us of the need to improve our ways of attempting to control the myriad factors which interact within the global construct of stress and provides us with a number of imaginative methodological approaches. For all those concerned with the examination of stress and its contribution to disturbed behaviour, Neufeld's book is a goldmine of information and advice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Dissociation: Clinical and theoretical perspectives.

Reviews the book, Dissociation: Clinical and theoretical perspectives by Steven Jay Lynn and Judith W. Rhue (see record 1994-98908-000). In this book, the editors' stated purpose was to provide "a book that would be at once authoritative and provide virtually comprehensive coverage of important aspects of the topic," and they have largely achieved their goal. Because Dissociation is so comprehensive, there is in essence "something for everyone"; in turn, there may be sections of the book which are of less relevance to many readers. For example, clinicians who are primarily concerned about issues of diagnosis and treatment may find the discussion of the theoretical underpinnings of hypnosis and dissociation less than helpful. The sections on diagnosis and treatment, in turn, are of an overview nature; a clinician who is interested in more detailed discussions of these issues will have to go to the original sources. Nevertheless, this book might well be recommended as required reading for clinicians and researchers alike because of its very broad scope. The various authors address important questions which clinicians and researchers should consider. Dissociation makes clear that the concept of dissociation is one of the most complicated and misunderstood concepts in psychology. The history of the concept itself is reviewed at length in the book. Nevertheless, Lynn and Rhue have provided a resource in which a wide variety of perspectives of both a clinical and research nature are presented in a comprehensive yet accessible manner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychological theories of drinking and alcoholism.

Reviews the book, Psychological theories of drinking and alcoholism edited by Howard T. Blane and Kenneth E. Leonard (1987). This volume presents different psychological elements in alcoholism and theories underlining a variety of sources of the motivation to drink. The volume is thus a sign of the maturing of psychology's view of alcoholism and of the creation of real bodies of data and a firm foundation for understanding alcoholism from a psychological perspective. The editors, Blane and Leonard, arrange nine bodies of psychological theory and research about drinking and alcoholism into two sections: Traditional Approaches and Recent Theoretical Models. The chapters do not deal with equivalent kinds of theories; the theories differ not only in their scope but in their level of analysis. Nonetheless, given the differences in the material and the amount to be reviewed, the volume accomplishes very well what it sets out to do. The presentations are inclusive and generally well written. They organize largely distinct areas of psychological knowledge into accessible chapters. The contributors give attention not only to theory and data but also to clinical applications of the theories. In nearly all cases, the chapters serve as perhaps the best available surveys of the topics, making this an invaluable teaching tool and reference book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychological concepts and biological psychiatry.

Reviews the book, Psychological concepts and biological psychiatry by Peter Zachar (see record 2000-16870-000). Almost from the very beginning of its disciplinary history clinical psychology has sought to align itself philosophically and methodologically with the natural sciences, particularly medicine and neurology. Contradicting the common-place assumption that common sense or folk psychology has been proven uninformative and futile, Zachar provides explicit philosophical and psychological arguments that demonstrate why such accounts are not only vital to proper scientific explanation but inevitable as well. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychological testing.

Reviews "Psychological testing," by Anne Anastasi (see record 1954-15003-000). Anastasi's book is scholarly, thoughtful, and thorough. Its coverage is broad, yet there has necessarily been selection. The selection has been generally good and the emphases well placed. As an example of textbook organization and writing, this volume may well serve as a model. In spite of good writing, however, the reading will not be found easy except by the better students. The author seems to be right at home when discussing such disparate subjects as factor analysis and projective techniques; measures of artistic aptitude and situational tests; infant tests and measures of deterioration. The author brings into high relief the great amount of floundering that has occurred in connection with attempts to measure deterioration, with projective techniques, and with situational tests. Like most authors who write about tests, she thinks of them entirely as measures of individual differences. It is time that we broaden this conception and recognize that "occasional differences" are also measured by means of tests and that the experimental psychologist is perpetually using tests for this purpose. In only one important place does the author seem uncritical: when she accepts the "projective line" that projective tests take the "global approach." A debatable point, which Anastasi recognizes, is the false dichotomy that has persisted between aptitude tests and personality tests. Surely an individual's abilities are a part of his personality. Overall, it is difficult to find flaws in this book, technical or otherwise. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The theory and practice of self psychology.

Reviews the book, The theory and practice of self psychology by M. T. White and M. B. Weiner (see record 1986-97572-000). White and Weiner provide a clear and concise overview of the central concepts of Kohut's self psychology in this clinically useful volume. Readers uninitiated in the self psychological literature are likely to gain an appreciation for the clinical utility of self psychological concepts. Readers who have previously explored Kohut's work may find (as did this reviewer) that a close reading of White and Weiner's book promotes a greater grasp of the evolution of Kohut's thought and a renewed appreciation for the profundity of his clinical observations. White and Weiner's book does have some minor shortcomings. The authors make little effort to place Kohut's self psychology within the historical context of psychoanalytic thought (keeping alive a tradition that some have said began with Kohut himself). As a result, useful and related efforts by others (e.g., Winnicott, Rogers, Binswanger, Sullivan, and others) at explicating the concept of the self go essentially ignored. Shortcomings notwithstanding, White and Weiner succeed in providing a highly accessible and lucid overview of self psychological concepts and in offering the reader a demonstration of how these concepts apply to the clinical situation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Jubilee of the Psychological Review: Fifty volumes of the Psychological Review..

Presents a historical overview of the Psychological Review, and discusses the environment in which it was founded in 1894 and its subsequent evolution. The roles of J. M. Cattell and J. M. Baldwin in founding the Psychological Review are discussed. Key early contributors and their papers are also briefly reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychological Thought from Pythagoras to Freud: An Informal Introduction.

Reviews the book, Psychological Thought from Pythagoras to Freud: An Informal Introduction by Gardner Murphy (1968). Those individuals who look on Gardner Murphy as one of the (alas) few really literate psychologists of the twentieth century will have their admiration of him reinforced by this volume of essays. They were originally presented as a series of lectures at the Menninger School of Psychiatry in 1966-67. One of them, on "The Mathematical View of Life and Mind: Pythagoras", has already been published in the American Psychologist while another, "Evolution: Charles Darwin", has appeared in the Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic. Whether the topic is the place (and misplace) of quantification in psychology, materialist and functionalist views of psychology, the role of divine grace in the evolution of the concept of the will, nationalistic differences in the handling of common psychological problems, psychology's post evolutionary theory concerns, the stream of William James' thought, Gestalt psychology or Freudian psychoanalysis, Murphy remains erudite, informative and, occasionally, provocative. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Psychological Assessment of Children.

Reviews the book, The Psychological Assessment of Children by James O. Palmer (see record 1970-20599-000). The Palmer text begins with a nod to the science-practitioner model. It is ego-oriented and depends heavily of the case history approach viewed within developmental constructs. Psychiatric taxonomy is largely avoided. The organisation of material covers 5 parts; I Hypotheses of Assessment, II Methods of Data Collection, III Procedure in Assessment, IV Analyses of the Assessment, and and V Assessment and Recommendations. The final chapters comprise a linking of assessment for psychotherapy and other kinds of intervention. Test manual kinds of materials, test norms, and scoring procedures are not covered. Nor are specific tests reviewed, the assumption being that the student will be receiving technical training concurrently. Palmer's purpose seems to be the provision of holistic kinds of conceptual frameworks within which the technician can function instead as a professional. Worth examining for class adaption. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Geriatric neuropsychology.

Reviews the book, Geriatric neuropsychology by M. S. Albert and M. B. Moss (see record 1988-98391-000). Because the onset of dementing disorders can be insidious and symptoms can mimic psychiatric disturbance, accurate detection early in the course of the disease has traditionally been difficult. However, diagnosis has been aided significantly in recent years by advances in neuropsychological assessment and neuroimaging techniques. Geriatric neuropsychology is an update on such state-of-the-art evaluation. It is divided into five sections. Section I provides a general overview of the field of geriatric neuropsychology, including demographics, characteristics of aging, and methodological issues. Section II reviews research on normal aging changes in cognition, with emphasis on intelligence testing and five major areas of cognitive ability: attention, language, memory, spatial ability, and conceptualization. Sections III and IV cover abnormal cognitive functioning. Section V includes recommendations for future research, emphasizing further study of normal aging and remediation for disease. This book is thorough in its review of the field and in its ability to make practical recommendations. It should be studied by all neuropsychologists, psychologists, and neuroscientists involved in assessment of cognitive functioning in the elderly. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Outcomes assessment in clinical practice.

Reviews the book, Outcomes assessment in clinical practice edited by Lloyd I. Sederer and Barbara Dickey. This book is a timely publication dealing with the urgent and imperative situation in health care delivery, especially in the area of mental health services. There are four Sections in the book. Section I is titled Integrating Outcomes Assessment into Clinical Practice. This section conveys in a rational and reasonable sequence the definition, impetus, history, scope, process, and current crisis-like status of mental health care, in terms of its financing, its validity, and its effectiveness. Section II is called Instruments of Outcomes Assessment and contains sixteen chapters, each describing a different instrument of assessment. Section III optimistically proclaimed a future improvement of health care delivery and access. These five chapters were exciting, but require a most open and direct acknowledgement of the need for protection of patients and therapists in this field. Complementing Section II is Section IV which contains the Appendices. According to the reviewer, this book has the potential to advance the practice of psychotherapy. But presenting it as a means to satisfy so many volatile and uncontrolled social, political, economic, and other forces can lead to its corruption. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Neuropsychological Interventions: Clinical Research and Practice.

Reviews the book, Neuropsychological Interventions: Clinical Research and Practice by Paul J. Eslinger (Ed.) (2005). The pessimistic assumption that the mature human brain lacks any physiological mechanism to support recovery of function beyond that attending the dissipation of diathesis is now thankfully relegated to the (recent) past. Advances in neuroimaging have provided striking evidence of the brain's capacity for functional reorganization, and fueled interest in rehabilitation treatments that may facilitate this process. This book addresses an important facet of this rapidly evolving field, the link between clinical research and practice. The basic science underpinning our emerging appreciation of the brain's plasticity is avowedly not the focus of this volume but is tied with varying degrees of success to the treatment strategies covered. The book contains 14 chapters organized into three parts covering Foundations of Neuropsychological Impairments, Models of Interventions for (specific) Neuropsychological Impairments, and Future Directions, respectively. The reviewer suggests that this is a book that should occupy the most accessible part of the bookshelf of those who work with or have an interest in patients with neuropsychological deficits. It is a concise, thoughtful, well researched, and authoritative resource that can be strongly recommended as a core text for graduate-level rehabilitation psychology courses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Clinical Psychologist.

Reviews the book, The Clinical Psychologist edited by Bernard Lubin and Eugene E. Levitt (1967). In all, there are 51 papers and reports, many of them prepared for the American Psychological Association to present material on the deliberations of Committees, meetings, or conferences. They cover the two decades from the 1947 Shakow Report but, as one might expect, the bulk of papers (37) were written in the sixties. The papers, which deal with a broad range of problems and concerns in clinical psychology, are presented in six sections. As with all "collected" books the style and presentation is uneven from paper to paper since each was prepared for a different purpose and publication. One can also criticize because others weren't included or because there is much emphasis given to those from recent years. However, I wish to leave no doubt in the reader's mind that I think this is an excellent collection not only for students and colleagues from other disciplines who are interested in knowing more about the clinical psychologist, but also as a handy reference to our antecedents, our present concerns and, maybe where we are going. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical utility and DSM-V.

The construction of the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual has been guided primarily by concerns of construct validity rather than of clinical utility, despite claims by its authors that the highest priority has in fact been clinical utility. The purpose of this article was to further articulate the concept and importance of utility when constructing and evaluating a diagnostic construct. It is suggested that a relative emphasis on validity over utility is justifiable but that matters of clinical utility should not be neglected. Discussed in particular is ease of usage, communication, and treatment planning. Suggestions for future research are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The clinician’s handbook.

Reviews the book, The clinician's handbook by Robert G. Meyer and Sarah E. Deitsch (see record 1996-97385-000). This book is an integration of a great deal of both diagnostic and clinical information concerning adult and adolescent psychopathology. It brings together a collective wealth of information about various psychological assessment tools. It also attempts to show the relevance of assessment data, both to case formulation and to treatment/intervention. Although, as the reviewer notes, there are a few expected flaws in the text, he believes that the authors should be congratulated for their superb effort to accomplish what they set out to do, which is to give a specific and concrete focus to psychopathology assessment. This book is recommended for psychotherapists, particularly those who are forensically oriented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)