Schizophrenia continues to be the most debilitating of the psychotic disorders with less than one third returning to a 'normal' level of functioning. Our understanding of this disorder has advanced considerably over the last 10 years with major contributions from neurobiology but particularly from an understanding of the way in which psychosocial and psychological factors interact with underlying vulnerabilities to influence both the content and timing of psychotic symptoms and the personal and social difficulty they create.
This book brings together this disparate and complex literature in a highly accessible and up-to-date way. It is written by two leading academic-clinical psychologists in the area who uniquely bring together an understanding of key scientific concepts with clinical reality. The section on treatment brings to the reader a clear account of psychological, social and drug treatments interspersed with clinical accounts.
The text is aimed primarily at undergraduates attempting to gain some understanding of this exciting and rapidly developing field but with sufficient depth to engage the trainee clinical psychologist, community psychiatric nurse, and psychiatrist.
Biography
Max Birchwood, Early Intervention Service, Birmingham, UK
Chris Jackson, University of Birmingham, UK
"This is a very worthwhile volume. It presents a thorough review of the disorders of behaviour and experience which lead to a diagnosis of schizophrenia ... The volume is an ideal introduction to the vast research literature on schizophrenia ... The book will be ideally suited to final year undergraduates undertaking an 'Abnormal Psychology' Option, and also as an introductory text for trainee clinical psychologists and psychiatrists ... I strongly recommend it." - Professor David Hemsley, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
