Know any good psychiatry books (or articles)? *(Combined Sticky)*

[Anasazi23]

I'd like to start a list of books which you found extremely helpful during your psychiatry residency, or in your psychiatry attending practice. I'm not talking BRS or Blueprints - more the seminal works or those which you found extremely necessary, interesting or progressive.

**[Edited thread]**
I'm including a former sticky direct link to "Essential Articles in Psychiatry" to help eliminate some of the sticky clutter. Feel free to read and post in both this thread and in the linked thread:
Essential Articles in Psychiatry Thread

I'll start with one I found useful on my neuro rotation:
1. Neurology (House Officer Series)
by Howard L. Weiner, Lawrence P., Md. Levitt, Alexander D., Mb. Rae-Grant

Useful easily referenced pages on how to approach the patient in status, loading doses, therapeutic levels, etc.

And while I haven't gotten through the entire book yet, this one makes for an interesting read (Dr. Hudziak also spoke at our grand rounds - very, very interesting and dynamic speaker):
2. Defining Psychopathology in the 21st Century: DSM-V and beyond
by Helzer & Hudziak
...Talks about the near future of psychiatry in which genomics will play a much larger role in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric conditions.

[SKloggGirl]

I'm a fan of the Lange text series for some reason... and I really liked their Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Psychiatry text.

From a less "text booky" perspective I have a bunch of faves. Some of them are:

1. Listening to Prozac by Peter Kramer

2. Phantoms in the Brain by V.S. Ramachandran

3. The Talking Cure: the Science Behind Psychotherapy by Susan Vaughan, M.D.

4. Broken Stuctures: Severe Personality Disorders and their Treatment by Salman Akhtar, M.D. (He lectures and is an attending at our school; he is by far the best speaker I have heard (even beyond medicine), and world reknown psychoanalyst)

5. Neurotic Styles by David Shapiro

6. AND -- though fiction -- must mention Mount Misery by Samuel Shem (black humor and sarcasm galore)

I guess "favorites" means I should stick with "a few," so I'll stop there. Good thread

I'll have to check out the second book you mentioned.

[mdblue]

1. Psychoanalytic Diagnosis: Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process by Nancy Mcwilliams, one of my favourite authors
2. Kaufman's neurology
3.Companion to Psychiatric Studies ( Eve Johnston Ed.)- one of the requisite texts for MRCPsych, gives a different perspective of psych
4. Yudofsky's neuropsych (APPI text)

[mdblue]

IT's looking like my wish list-
gabbard's psychodynamic psychotx
Strubb and black's The Mental Status Examination in Neurology

[Anasazi23]

Couple more:

Interview Guide for Evaluating Dsm-IV Psychiatric Disorders and the Mental Status Examination
by Mark Zimmerman



And for those who have been living under a rock:
Kaplan & Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry (2 Volume Set)
by Benjamin J. Sadock (Editor), Virginia A. Sadock (Editor)

This one, of course, gets very mixed reviews: People either love it for its simplicity or hate it for its simplicity:
Essential Psychopharmacology : Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applicationsby Stephen M. Stahl (Author), Nancy Muntner (Illustrator)
and the companion:
Essential Psychopharmacology of Depression and Bipolar Disorder
by Stephen M. Stahl (Author), Nancy Muntn

[mdblue]

Few more-
Clinical Handbook of Psychiatry and the Law
by Thomas G. Gutheil, Paul S. Appelbaum
Concise guide(APPI) series- Particularly sleep, beh neurology and child
Rutter's child psych text

[mdblue]

Yalom's Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy- a must for PGY3

[Neuron]

What a delightful thread! I haven?t browsed here in a long while, and it?s nice to see a change.

Books, eh. I suppose Shem?s stuff is required light reading for this audience. Psychiatrists in training can do worse than picking up a copy of Plath?s Bell Jar. Jamison?s An Unquiet Mind is, of course, absolutely required reading for you guys.

The only psych textbook I really enjoyed in school was Shea?s Psychiatric Interviewing. It was the second book I bought in med school (don?t ask). I had been looking for a good book on history taking, something more than the customary 1 chapter in most books on the clinical exam. Very early on, I became convinced that the key to becoming a good diagnostician was learning how to talk (and listen) to a patient. This book teaches you how better than any other. Useful no matter what specialty you eventually go into.

For neuro stuff, NfHO is not a bad handbook, although it has never been a particular favourite of mine. The best neurosurgery handbook (with a lot of useful info for residents who need to know neuro stuff) is doubtless Greenberg?s Handbook of Neurosurgery. There are three basic operative textbooks to select from; I think Rengachary?s is the best, though clearly this is probably not useful to shrinks. For residents who need to know a little neurology, I?d recommend the aptly titled Neurology for the Non-Neurologist.

[Anasazi23]

You really liked Neurology for Non-Neurologists? I found it to be little more than a scanty introductory glossing of only a few select neurologic conditions, with a gross lacking of more clinical "real world" usefulness. People seem to recommend: Clinical Neurology for Psychiatrists
by David M. Kaufman for residency and passing the neurology portion of the boards.

I just finished The Psychiatrist in Court: A Survival Guide
by Thomas G., Gutheil, Md.. It came highly recommended from a few sources. The book can be read in one-two evenings and offers good insight from a well-versed forensic psychiatrist. However, it is truly what it claims to be: a survival guide. It's very short, and the tone of the book is one that basically tries to quell psychiatric physicians' horror of their impending courtroom appearance and dealings with attornies, etc.

He has a companion book as well, which I haven't read yet: The Psychiatrist as Expert Witness.

For those medicine and/or ICU months in psych residency, this book looks to be extremely useful: Tarascon Internal Medicine & Critical Care Pocketbook- 2nd Edition by Robert J. Lederman ....lots of easily referenced useful information that you'll need but don't want to spend lots of time looking up, like Heparin dosing, differential diagnoses of mixed acid-base disorders, ventilator weaning protocols, CSF and other fluid analysis, lots of formulas, transfusion reaction treatment, etc.

[Neuron]

Originally Posted by Anasazi23

You really liked Neurology for Non-Neurologists? I found it to be little more than a scanty introductory glossing of only a few select neurologic conditions, with a gross lacking of more clinical "real world" usefulness. People seem to recommend: Clinical Neurology for Psychiatrists by David M. Kaufman for residency and passing the neurology portion of the boards.

Hi Anasazi,

I never use such books because I need to know a LOT more neurosurgery and neurology than what is in them. That recommendation was for people who don't need to have more than a basic grasp of medical and surgical neurological diseases.

Please be careful with the "non-neurologist" title. There are actually TWO different books with almost the same title: Neurology for the Non-Neurologist by Chris Goetz and Bill Weiner, and another book called Neurology for Non-Neurologists by Weiderholt. The first deserves its title, and is what I recommended. The second book I have never seen, but I haven't heard anything good about it - of note, it is very much smaller than the first. I do not know anything about the other book you mentioned. If you are looking for something to help you with the neuro part of psych boards, it certainly sounds as if it is geared for that audience.

[mdblue]

The "Orange" Book - (The Maudsley Handbook )-an excellent white-coat companion during initial years (albeit a UK text, so geared towards their system)

[Anasazi23]

Hi folks. It's probably a good idea to keep this tread alive. So I'll ask...I start my C/L rotation in a couple months, and want to get an early start. What are some good modern (or not) books you've used for C/L psychiatry, or other handy resources (pain management approaches for psychiatry, etc).

Anyone actually look through this one? http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...79031?v=glance

If the thread is helpful/good enough, I'll think about "stickying" it for our quick reference. Thanks.

[MBK2003]

A couple more I've found useful -

Neuroscience for the Mental Health Clinician by S. Pliszka
Primer of Supportive Psychotherapy by H. Pinsker
DSM-IV TR Casebook (exceptional bus/train reading)

And of course I'll second the Gabbard text Psychodynamic Psychiatry in Clinical Practice

[MJD503]

Dante's Cure; Daniel Dorman MD; Amazing story that may help in clinical rotations and ethics regarding medcating patients.

[john182]

Symptoms in the Mind by Andrew Sims. Psychopathology book. I'd also recommend Fish if you find it for a bit of old fashioned text.

The Stahl books mentioned above are superb. For a good psychopharmacology summary, try Fundamentals of Clinical Psychopharmacology published by the BAP. It's concise but a great immediate reference on current theory.

For psychology, I recommend The Psychological Basis of Psychiatry by Thambirajah. It's written by a psychiatrist and not a psychologist so it's more of what we need and from a treating psychiatrists POV.

[mdblue]

Originally Posted by MJD503

Dante's Cure; Daniel Dorman MD; Amazing story that may help in clinical rotations and ethics regarding medcating patients.

Absolute fraud. Probabaly it was not schiz in the first place. Sounds like Peter Breggin. This kind of books and authors were responsible for humiliation of psychiatrists and demedicalization of psychiatry in general. Talking nicely w/ any pt helps, but it does not cure them. Ethically speaking w/ current std of care of schiz, the author would have been hold liable for willfull negligence for not using meds.

[OldPsychDoc]

Originally Posted by Anasazi23

Hi folks. It's probably a good idea to keep this tread alive. So I'll ask...I start my C/L rotation in a couple months, and want to get an early start. What are some good modern (or not) books you've used for C/L psychiatry, or other handy resources (pain management approaches for psychiatry, etc).

Anyone actually look through this one? http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...79031?v=glance

If the thread is helpful/good enough, I'll think about "stickying" it for our quick reference. Thanks.

For consults I prefer:

Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of General Hospital Psychiatry
by Theodore A. Stern, Gregory Fricchione, Ned H. Cassem (Editor), Michael S. Jellinek, Jerrold F. Rosenbaum

(Along with my Wash Manual and online access to UpToDate!)

[PsychMD]

Neuroscience for the Mental Health Clinician by S. Pliszka

Haven't read it, but I had the chance to have Dr. Pliszka as my geropsych. attending during residency training. I learned during my relatively brief encounters with him during that tiny (duration-wise) rotation a huge amount of perennially useful material, so I am sure that his book is probably excellent for any young trainee, as early as PGY I, or even med student "interested in Psychiatry" level. I distinctly remember having one of those "AHA"! moments when Psychiatry suddenly started to make more "sense", in a more coherent manner, and previously accumulated knowledge "fell into place" during that geropsych. rotation as well. So for Dr. Pliszka!

I agree that for C/L Mass General is still probably the best.

Gabbard, as an educator by excellence, is always "pertinently current".

Would also suggest (for the older residency years) starting to explore the new reads on "Consciousness". Ramachandran has a book on it as well.

[MJD503]

Originally Posted by mdblue

Absolute fraud. Probabaly it was not schiz in the first place.

Judging by your others posts on these forums, most are negative... With that said, what makes you think she was not suffering from schizophrenia and what might you have done differentley with this particular patient?

[mdblue]

Originally Posted by MJD503

Judging by your others posts on these forums, most are negative... With that said, what makes you think she was not suffering from schizophrenia and what might you have done differentley with this particular patient?

I am sorry that you felt most of my posts as -ve. Presuming you are interested in psychiatry, you must have seen/worked w/ schizophrenics.
How many schiz that you have seen are treated w/ psychotx only?
Why do you think DSM and ICD both consider schiz as a diagnosis of exclusion?
I could have quoted lines from that book why I didn't consider the diagnosis as schiz, but I don't have it w/ me. And irrespective of diagnosis, being in psychotx 5d/wk X 7-8 yrs does not seem a very effective tx. However, it's understandable in the context of 70s, when causes of schiz ranged from family skew/schisms to refrigerator mom. And more cases of schiz were diagnosed in the US as compared to europe and the rest of the world.
Also if she is a schiz, I would have used a bio-psycho-social approach which should include meds. Talk tx is OK, and in fact in UK, 15 sessions of CBT are added to every anti-schiz regimen, but the mainstay of tx is medication.
Try to read more of Peter Breggin, Mosher and you'll get a perspective of the crap that was called psychiatry in the 60s and 70s.
Peace

[MJD503]

There are several oldie but goodies regarding Psych residency that I would reccomend, off hand I know one which I suggest:

Becoming Psychiatrists
Also,
Living with prozac - Gives a good view on anti-depressant use in a patient perspective
The state rebellion boys - regarding mental health care of MR/DD males in the mid 1900's.

[deuist]

Love's Executioner is set of true stories from Yalom's practice.

[jschwartz]

Don't think it's been mentioned yet: "Motivational Interviewing, Second Edition: Preparing People for Change"

[Anasazi23]

Cool new book. Lots of pearls and dosing tips:

Essential Psychopharmacology: The Prescriber's Guide
by Stahl, 2005

A typical entry has the name, generics, indications, "how the drug works," "how long until it works," If it works" (how to continue tx or adjust it), if it doesn't work (similar next strategies), augmentation combos for partial response or treatment resistance, "tests," "side effects," "What to do about side effects," "dosing and use" which includes how to dose, usual dosing range, dosing tips, and overdose, long term use, "how to stop," "pharmacokinetics," "drug interactions," "other warnings/precautions," who NOT to use it in, "special populations" including kids and elderly, and pregnant patients, and the "art of psychopharmacology" which has advantages, disadvantages of the drug, along with target symptoms and pearls.

Especially fun book to review the lesser-used drugs and their uses, etc.

[Anasazi23]

Just to show I'm not a one-trick psychopharm pony, I'll give some recommendations given to me by our faculty, that I've perused and found to be useful:

Neurotic Styles by David Shapiro, 1972
Not entirely practical, but interesting nonetheless.

Principles of Intensive Psychotherapy, by Freida Fromm-Reichmann, 1950
A disciple of Harry Stack Sullivan...a cool book from 1950 that displays Reichmann's ability to do intensive psychotherapy with sick inpatients during a time when psychopharmacological agents were new and relatively scanty. The general principles are still very relevant today.

The practice of Supportive Psychotherapy, by David Werman, 1984
A good general book that contrasts interpersonal vs. supportive psychotherapy from a psychodynamic/analytic perspective. Good starting point for when you need to get your feet wet relatively quickly.

[WriterGirl]

I read "Beyond the Glass" by Antonia White last year. I'm sure you guys are looking for more technical/scientific books but if you want a first hand account of what bipolar disorder FEELS like you should read this book. It is autobiographical fiction. She was a beautiful writer and seems like she was an amazing person too.

[JennyKim82]

"Beyond the Glass" is a really good book. My friend (who has bipolar disorder) recommended it to me. She loves reading fiction. I'm not too into fiction; I enjoy the science side of things generally. Anyway despite all this I really did enjoy the book. The author is so descriptive! You really get a sense of what she (and others with bipolar) went through. Check it out if you get a chance.

[mucha]

Of two minds: very good, neutral description from an anthropologist about the world of psychiatry. She observed and studied med students, psych residents, and the division between biological and psychotherapeutic approaches

The moral animal: Description of evolutionary-Darwinian psychology, and how genes played a role in behavior throughout evolution, from chimps to humans. Very different book, but fascinating.

[Anasazi23]

Massachusetts General Hospital
Psychiatry Update & Board Preparation
second edition
Theodore A. Stern and John B. Herman
McGraw-Hill Publishing

[kcrd]

The Practical Art of Suicide Assessment, by Shawn Christopher Shea. As my supervisor said when he recommended it to me "It reads like a novel."

[jschwartz]

The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund

[cleareyedguy]

MacKinnon and Michels' The Psychiatric Interview in Clinical Practice is a great--but outdated--book (it was originally published in the 70's). Much of it is the best introduction to interviewing that I've seen. A revised edition is coming out this winter. Can't say if it's going to be any good, but it is definitely worth checking out.

Update: It is now out there and is very good.

[HelpSide]

What are some good beginner books on Physchiatry. I am new to college in general and was wondering what books would help me understand Physchology and Physchiatry better?

[grunermann]

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is a great piece of fiction for understanding autism.

[watto]

Originally Posted by HelpSide

What are some good beginner books on Physchiatry. I am new to college in general and was wondering what books would help me understand Physchology and Physchiatry better?

I feel like I've mentioned this one a million times, but A General Theory of Love is a quick read that demonstrates the synergistic relationship of psychopharm and therapy. A nice intro into neuroanatomy, with some discussion of how traumatic events early in life can alter brain physiology. Written by an analyst, a neuroscience researcher, and another psychiatrist, at least one of whom is at UCSF.

[nortomaso]

1. Edward Shorter: A History of Psychiatry


2. Richard Webster: Why Freud Was Wrong: Sin, Science and Psychoanalysis

3. Adolf Grunbaum:The Foundations of Psychoanalysis: A Philosophical Critique

[Doc Samson]

Originally Posted by nortomaso

1. Edward Shorter: A History of Psychiatry


2. Richard Webster: Why Freud Was Wrong: Sin, Science and Psychoanalysis

3. Adolf Grunbaum:The Foundations of Psychoanalysis: A Philosophical Critique

Norto, you have one hell of an axe to grind with psychoanalysis.

[nortomaso]

Originally Posted by Doc Samson

Norto, you have one hell of an axe to grind with psychoanalysis.

Doc Samson, Its just that I'm toatlly baffled and disturbed that such an unscientific current of thought continues to dominate psychiatry.

[Doc Samson]

The human experience doesn't necessarily lend itself to scientific study or explanation. Experience is amorphous and vague so the examination of experience is similarly amorphous and vague.

I'll quote one of my favorite psychiatry books, Mount Misery by Sam Shem...

The Laws of Mount Misery:

XII. Healing in psychotherapy has nothing to do with psychology; connection, not self, heals.

XIII. The delivery of psychiatric care is to know as little as possible, and to understand as much as possible about living through sorrow with others.

Mount Misery is worth reading (after you've read House of God) because it shows, in Shem's typical hyperbolic satirical style, what happens when you try to force the square peg of psychiatry into the round hole of science. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for advances in neurosciences and psychopharm, and read as much Stahl as I do Gabbard, but even when you've titrated the drugs what really helps people cope with their suffering is connection.

[Poety]

Norto - are you replying to yourself again? J/K

DS: I think you made some really good points - and I think that it actually can (and has) been proven that therapy works - however, perhaps Norto are you talking about just psychoanalysis?

At one of the residency's I've applied to they use the Missouri Modules for therapy training - with the thought being that Psychoanalysis is outdated and no where near as efficient for treating patients now a days. The PD explained that in real practice, no one has the time nor the money to actually partake in true psychoanalysis anymore.

I'm copying this to the psychoanalysis debate board. Thoughts?

[nortomaso]

Originally Posted by Poety

Norto - are you replying to yourself again? J/K

DS: I think you made some really good points - and I think that it actually can (and has) been proven that therapy works - however, perhaps Norto are you talking about just psychoanalysis?

Poety, of course I'm just talking about psychoanalysis. I am very much a proponent of psychotherapy and I certainly believe in the healing power of the doctor-patient relationship. In fact, dismantling studies *(1) show that therapeutic alliance is the most important component of any type of psychotherapy. They also show that the alliance is generally weaker in psychoanalysis and brief psychodynamic therapy than in CBT, IPT.

Now to justify leaving this post in the books thread:

DS: " even when you've titrated the drugs what really helps people cope with their suffering is connection."

DS, I also read Mount Misery. The lesson that I took home was sometimes its best to just act human and use common sense and instinctive empathy. Characters whom Shem mocks include not just the pharmacologists, but analysts such as Schlomo Dove (whose patient Ike White commits suicide), who defie common sense and justify this defiace with psychoanalytic ideas. In his writings, Freud makes it quite clear that you are NOT to establish the kind of connection that you are refering to above. Instead the analyst serves as a wastebasket for the patients interpersonal conflicts. This is why alliance is generally weaker than in more collaborative therapies. Interestingly, historical research (*2) has shown quite clearly that Freud did not practice what he preached. He in fact engaged in conversation with his patients like any normal person would do. He even went further than any of us would consider proper, sharing details of his own personal life with his patients, many of whom he was already acquainted with anyway before they began therapy.

I find it a sad testimony to the continued dominance of psychoanalytic thought in American psychiatry that anytime someone criticizes Freud they are automatically assumed to be an inhumane biological reductionist who is against all psychotherapy.

*1: See the printed volume "What Works for Whom" by Roth and Fogarty (who, interestingly, is a psychoanalysist)
*2: Lynn DJ. Vaillant GE. Anonymity, neutrality, and confidentiality in the actual methods of Sigmund Freud: a review of 43 cases, 1907-1939. American Journal of Psychiatry. 155(2):163-71, 1998 Feb.

[Poety]

You go Norto ugg, I really need to read more

[Doc Samson]

Originally Posted by nortomaso

Poety, of course I'm just talking about psychoanalysis. I am very much a proponent of psychotherapy and I certainly believe in the healing power of the doctor-patient relationship. In fact, dismantling studies *(1) show that therapeutic alliance is the most important component of any type of psychotherapy. They also show that the alliance is generally weaker in psychoanalysis and brief psychodynamic therapy than in CBT, IPT.

Now to justify leaving this post in the books thread:

DS: " even when you've titrated the drugs what really helps people cope with their suffering is connection."

DS, I also read Mount Misery. The lesson that I took home was sometimes its best to just act human and use common sense and instinctive empathy. Characters whom Shem mocks include not just the pharmacologists, but analysts such as Schlomo Dove (whose patient Ike White commits suicide), who defie common sense and justify this defiace with psychoanalytic ideas. In his writings, Freud makes it quite clear that you are NOT to establish the kind of connection that you are refering to above. Instead the analyst serves as a wastebasket for the patients interpersonal conflicts. This is why alliance is generally weaker than in more collaborative therapies. Interestingly, historical research (*2) has shown quite clearly that Freud did not practice what he preached. He in fact engaged in conversation with his patients like any normal person would do. He even went further than any of us would consider proper, sharing details of his own personal life with his patients, many of whom he was already acquainted with anyway before they began therapy.

I find it a sad testimony to the continued dominance of psychoanalytic thought in American psychiatry that anytime someone criticizes Freud they are automatically assumed to be an inhumane biological reductionist who is against all psychotherapy.

*1: See the printed volume "What Works for Whom" by Roth and Fogarty (who, interestingly, is a psychoanalysist)
*2: Lynn DJ. Vaillant GE. Anonymity, neutrality, and confidentiality in the actual methods of Sigmund Freud: a review of 43 cases, 1907-1939. American Journal of Psychiatry. 155(2):163-71, 1998 Feb.

I think we basically agree on this... I don't know any psychoanalysts who actually practice the distant ice-berg style of neutrality that is commonly associated with Freudian theory. Current American psychoanalysis has, perhaps contrary to popular belief, changed with the times - though there was admittedly a massive delay in doing so. Nonetheless, the psychoanalysts that I've had the pleasure of learning from and being supervised by (BTW I am resolutely NOT a psychoanalyst myself) are by far the most warm, connected, thoughtful, and caring folks I've met who all recommend regularly expressing empathy in the course of treatment.
Also, as I remember Schlomo Dove was also violating sexual boundaries left and right... perhaps a caricature of a malignant narcissistic psychiatrist, not a condemnation of psychoanalysis. I don't know how much exposure you've had to psychoanalysts, but your descriptions seem to be based on a historic ideal.

[felicity]

Just wanted to recommend Lincoln's Melancholy by Joshua Shenk. It is surprisingly easy to read for a Presidential biography, and the author weaves in a lot of material about Lincoln's dysthmic existence. It is better than I expected and the author, who is not a psychiatrist, takes a refreshing look at letters and correspondence and speeches to try to understand Lincoln's "state of mind."

It really is a good read. Felicity.

[psychdoc06]

richard rosner's Principles and Practice of Forensic Psychiatry

[sga430]

what book do u all recommend for those just about to start rez? both in terms to prepare for rez and perhaps fiction. i have very little psych experiencs being an IMG. also i would like to say i am nu here and this forum has a lot of great info about psy residency and the field itself. a lot of great posters here. was wasting too much time at prep4usmle (which is great forum in general but not many psych fans there) looking for psych info.

[Anasazi23]

And I quote myself...a new low:

Originally Posted by Anasazi23

Couple more:

Interview Guide for Evaluating Dsm-IV Psychiatric Disorders and the Mental Status Examination
by Mark Zimmerman



And for those who have been living under a rock:
Kaplan & Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry (2 Volume Set)
by Benjamin J. Sadock (Editor), Virginia A. Sadock (Editor)

This one, of course, gets very mixed reviews: People either love it for its simplicity or hate it for its simplicity:
Essential Psychopharmacology : Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applicationsby Stephen M. Stahl (Author), Nancy Muntner (Illustrator)
and the companion:
Essential Psychopharmacology of Depression and Bipolar Disorder
by Stephen M. Stahl (Author), Nancy Muntn

Of course, the Kaplan & Sadock Comprehensive Text can be had in a "synopsis" version, but you'll really need the complete text at some point. It's our major text...it should be had at some point. See if you can get a drug rep to give it to you...they love to frequent new psychiatrists in training!

[Doc Samson]

The even simpler version of Stahl:

Essential Psychopharmacology: the Prescriber's Guide (Essential Psychopharmacology Series) by Stephen M. Stahl, Meghan M. Grady, and Nancy Muntner

Lots of nice colorful diagrams. Great to familiarize yourself with our armamentarium as an intern.

For CL, I generally first look to:

Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of General Hospital Psychiatry by Theodore A. Stern, Gregory Fricchione, Ned H. Cassem, et al.

But, the simpler, "intern-ier" version might be:

Manual of Psychiatric Care for the Medically Ill by Antoinette Ambrosino, M.D. Wyszynski and Bernard, M.D. Wyszynski

And, even though you might not like it, it's still gonna be on the PRITE, your written boards, and your oral boards, so:

Psychodynamic Psychiatry in Clinical Practice by Glen O. Gabbard

or, again, the more concise:

Long-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: A Basic Text (Core Competencies in Psychotherapy) by Glen O. Gabbard

Ditto for:

Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond by Judith S. Beck

Feeling Good : The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns

And so that you can understand what the heck your pts in 12-step programs are talking about:

Alcoholics Anonymous - Big Book 4th Edition by AA Services


If you read any of those in the course of your intern year (never mind before your intern year starts), you'll be well ahead of the curve.

[nortomaso]

I'm wondering what some of your opinions (especially DS, Sazi, and the other residents) on Stahl's Essential Psychopharm are. I picked it up last year and at first loved the diagrams and simplicity. But then I became frustrated with its total lack of referencing to the primary literature and absolutist assertions of hypotheses that are far from established. In a field with so much uncertainty and in so much flux, it seems counterprouctive to have trainees reading a "bible" which does not expose itself to critical appraisal. Even textbooks like Kaplan and Saddock list references.

How is this book received by university attendings? Does it have any clinical utility?

[Doc Samson]

Originally Posted by nortomaso

I'm wondering what some of your opinions (especially DS, Sazi, and the other residents) on Stahl's Essential Psychopharm are. I picked it up last year and at first loved the diagrams and simplicity. But then I became frustrated with its total lack of referencing to the primary literature and absolutist assertions of hypotheses that are far from established. In a field with so much uncertainty and in so much flux, it seems counterprouctive to have trainees reading a "bible" which does not expose itself to critical appraisal. Even textbooks like Kaplan and Saddock list references.

How is this book received by university attendings? Does it have any clinical utility?

I agree with you on this one Norto... Stahl does tend to put forward one concept without necessarily mentioning other (possibly conflicting) theories. That being said, as long as you don't read it as "a bible" (and let's face it... there's very little in psychiatry that you can), it is a high yield introduction to psychopharm - which is how my attendings have described it.