Diagnosis Made Easier, First Edition: Principles and Techniques for Mental Health Clinicians - Hardcover

James Morrison

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1593853319 ISBN 13: 9781593853310

Publisher: The Guilford Press, 2006

Synopsis

This authoritative, user-friendly book offers a complete introduction to the art and science of mental health diagnosis. Meeting a key need for students and novice clinicians, James Morrison, the author of the bestselling DSM-IV Made Easy, systematically takes the reader through every step of the process. He provides clear-cut principles and decision trees for evaluating information from a variety of sources and for constructing a valid working diagnosis that serves as a foundation for treatment. Special features include quick-reference tables, sidebars explaining key concepts, and over 100 case examples that bring the approach to life.

About this title

About the Author:

James Morrison, MD, earned his BA at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and obtained his medical degree and psychiatric training at Washington University in St. Louis. With an extensive work history in both the private and public sectors, he is currently Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Dr. Morrison’s other books for professionals include The First Interview, DSM-IV Made Easy, When Psychological Problems Mask Medical Disorders, and Interviewing Children and Adolescents. He is also the author of Straight Talk about Your Mental Health, a comprehensive guide for consumers. 

Review:

"This excellent volume is a very practical, well-organized, and elegant guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders. As readers of his other books know, Morrison is a great writer with a wealth of clinical knowledge, wit, and great common sense. This volume will be highly appreciated by medical students, psychiatry residents, psychology interns, and their teachers. It is a terrific teaching text."--Richard Balon, MD, Wayne State University School of Medicine

"This introduction to the process of mental health diagnosis is the best and most readable book on the topic I have seen. The author has an engaging, even entertaining manner of introducing the reader to basic principles of diagnosis. He uses excellent examples to apply these principles to a variety of common Axis I and II diagnostic categories. I was particularly impressed with the inclusion of tables that succinctly summarize the complex material. This book would be appropriate for any graduate-level course on the topic of DSM-IV diagnosis in any of the human service professions."--Joseph Walsh, PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University

"Dr. Morrison’s extensive clinical experience shines through in this well-written, accessible guide to the complexities of mental health diagnosis. The book is brought to life with numerous clinical case examples, providing students and clinicians with rich illustrations of how diagnostic principles can be applied across a wide range of presentations. This text is particularly well suited for courses in clinical assessment and interviewing, though seasoned practitioners will also find it useful for sharpening their skills."--Martin M. Antony, PhD, Ryerson University, Toronto

"Morrison has again written a very useful book for mental health practitioners. This easy-to-read book is spiced with pertinent clinical vignettes and flow charts. The book provides a series of diagnostic algorithms that nicely complement the treatment algorithms increasingly being used in clinical practice. After all, treatment algorithms are of little use if the diagnosis is incorrect. Students and residents will find this a most helpful contribution, and experienced clinicians also will have much to gain."--David L. Dunner, MD, University of Washington
  "This book presents a clear, easy-to-follow framework for understanding the process of diagnosis."--Carolyn A. Bradley, PhD, Department of Social Work, Monmouth University

 

"This book pulled me in, because it is different than most other books on diagnosis, it fills a niche, and the writing style is marvelous....Morrison adopts the role of a friendly tutor, one who has a wealth of clinical experience but assumes that some readers are new to this and that some seasoned clinicians were trained poorly or have developed bad habits that interfere with their capacity to reliably diagnose patients with precision. He writes in a style that is both scientific and professional, but also conversational....This book would be of value to students in training, as the basis for a course on diagnostics, or as a reference honing the skills of experienced clinicians, which is exactly how I used it. This is an exceptional book that must be read and reread because of the wealth of information it contains." (PsycCRITIQUES 2006-07-23)

"A useful resource for clinicians to learn a systematic approach for arriving at diagnoses....Appropriate for students and those in early postgraduate training, as well as more experienced clinicians endeavoring to teach this material. For these readers, it could also serve as a useful foundation for building a thoughtful approach to psychiatric diagnosis." (Psychiatric Services 2006-07-23)

About this edition

• Publisher: The Guilford Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1593853319
• ISBN 13: 9781593853310
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 316