With the publication of DSM-IV, mental health practitioners are faced with the challenge of quickly learning a whole new set of diagnostic standards. Providing a simple way rapidly to become conversant with all DSM-IV categories as well as its many new criteria, this book translates DSM-IV data into a concise, accessible format, explicating and illustrating all the criteria in clear, jargon-free language. It discusses, illustrates, and interprets the criteria for every DSM-IV diagnosis. Over 100 vivid case histories give the reader a flavor of the disorder described and provide a framework for understanding the diagnostic criteria. In each, the author walks the reader through the process in step-by-step detail, discussing how he arrives at a five-axis diagnosis. Helpful features include quick guides at the beginning of every chapter pointing the way to the sought after diagnosis; tips highlighting information that will help clinicians make the diagnosis; sidelights containing historical information and other interesting facts, and editorial comments discussing diagnosis, patients, and clinical issues. This book will be invaluable to all mental health clinicians who want a quick and painless way to learn the DSM-IV criteria, psychologists and social workers studying for their state licensing exam, and graduate students taking courses in abnormal behavior and psychopathology.

Table of Contents

Introduction. Delirium, Dementia, and Amnestic and Other Cognitive Disorders. Mental Disorders Due to a General Medical Condition. Substance-Related Disorders. Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders. Mood Disorders. Anxiety Disorders. The Somatoform Disorders. Factitious Disorder. Dissociative Disorders. Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders. Introduction to the Eating Disorders. Sleep Disorders. Impulse-Control Disorders Not Elsewhere Classified. Adjustment Disorder. Personality Disorders. Disorders Usually First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence. Other Factors That May Need Clinical Attention. Evaluating the Mental Health Patient.

Author Biography

James Morrison, MD, was educated at Reed College and obtained his medical and psychiatric training at Washington University in St. Louis. He is currently Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Oregon Health Sciences University. He is the author of "The First Interview, DSM-IV Made Easy," and "When Psychological Problems Mask Medical Disorders," and coauthor (with Thomas F. Anders) of "Interviewing Children and Adolescents."