Psicodiagnostica e diagnosi psicologica

La diagnosi in psicologia clinica raccoglie i contributi di alcuni tra gli esperti in questo ambito

L'approccio fenomenologico enfatizza il bisogno di andare oltre il livello superficiale della descrizione comportamentale o delle descrizioni sintomatiche del senso comune. Offrendo un più ricco ed empiricamente fondato approccio teoretico alla comprensione delle esperienze e dei comportamenti abnormi, questo approccio consente una via di fuga dal cul-de-sac operazionalista che la psichiatria ha pericolosamente intrapreso. Lo sviluppo della EASE, che dovrebbe essere visto come parte di questa rinascita fenomenologia, ha stimolato un ampio interesse. La EASE è primariamente uno strumento descrittivo che riguarda le anomalie esperienziali della coscienza e della coscienza del Sé, inclusi gli aspetti strutturali dell'esperienza.

L'Assessment Terapeutico rappresenta una vera e propria innovazione nel modo di concepire e condurre la valutazione psicologica. Finn sostiene e dimostra come il momento dell'assessment psicologico possa essere, di per sé, una potente occasione di intervento terapeutico breve con clienti individuali, coppie e famiglie, così come un aiuto nelle situazioni di impasse di psicoterapie in corso. Attraverso una serie di passaggi, dalla formulazione di domande iniziali fino alla discussione dei risultati, il cliente non solo è parte attiva nel processo di conoscenza del proprio funzionamento psichico, ma è anche coinvolto in un'esperienza di cambiamento profondo e duraturo. In un numero di incontri limitato gli strumenti abituali dell'assessment usati in modo rigoroso, e al contempo flessibile e creativo, si integrano con molteplici tecniche che fanno riferimento a modelli teorici differenti (psicodinamico, umanistico-esperienziale, narrativo, cognitivo, sistemico...). Titolo originale: ''In our clients' shoes: Theory and techniques of Therapeutic Assessment'' (2007).

Psychotic depression is a dangerous and debilitating illness that, tragically, often has fatal consequences. Studies indicate that between 16% and 54% of all depressed adults suffer from a psychosis. While this condition is completely treatable, thousands of cases remain misdiagnosed or overlooked because of a lack of interest and awareness among clinicians, the pharmaceutical industry, and the National Institute of Mental Health. As the first comprehensive guide to cover assessment, treatment, and management of patients with psychotic depression, Clinical Manual for Diagnosis and Treatment of Psychotic Depression, by Dr. Anthony Rothschild, is an invaluable resource for both clinicians and students. Drawing on his own experience in clinical care and careful consideration of the existing medical literature, Dr. Rothschild systematically describes the history, epidemiology, and possible biological causes of psychotic depression and outlines various approaches for diagnosis and assessment. He then offers a practical guide for individualized treatment strategies for psychotic depression, such as electroconvulsive therapy, psychotherapy, and recent breakthroughs in pharmacologic treatment. In addition, Dr. Rothschild identifies issues of care and management for specific patient populations -- including seniors, adolescents, women in the postpartum, and patients at risk for suicide -- in a variety of treatment settings.Each chapter includes the following features to emphasize the data and further enhance learning: * Detailed tables and charts* Key clinical points that summarize the main ideas of the chapter* A recommended reading list of books and periodicals that address similar topics* Analysis and review of relevant clinical studies Dr. Rothschild has spent more than 25 years treating patients with psychotic depression and studying the challenges inherent in diagnosing and managing this serious disorder. His findings are compiled in this easy-to-read, evidence-based manual that can benefit clinicians at all levels of training, including psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, internists, family and general practitioners, nurses, social workers, and clinical students. While much remains to be discussed regarding the nature of psychotic depression as a distinct illness, the existing knowledge about this condition is too significant to be ignored. The only comprehensive manual of its kind, Clinical Manual for Diagnosis and Treatment of Psychotic Depression is an important reference for any psychiatric setting.

I primi capitoli del testo sono dedicati ad inquadrare la tecnica di Zulliger nell'ambito delle tecniche proiettive e tra le a

La testologia è oggi una delle branche della psicologia in più vitale sviluppo e alla ricerca di una sempre più precisa defini

The Clinical Manual for Evaluation and Treatment of Sleep Disorders is the first clinical text devoted solely to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders that is both comprehensive and conveniently portable. The book's 13 chapters offer a concise, step-by-step method of differential diagnosis for some of the most common sleep complaints encountered in today's professional clinical practices. And, unlike most other clinical textbooks, its small size gives it a broad accessibility. The manual begins with an overview of sleep physiology and pathology, including eight common laboratory procedures and three major diagnostic nomenclatures for sleep disorders. Each of the chapters that follow provides an overview of symptoms, tests, and various behavioral and pharmacologic treatments for a wide range of sleep conditions, including insomnias, breathing disorders, parasomnias, and several common medical disorders that are often associated with sleep complaints. The latter chapters discuss sleep disorders in distinct patient demographics -- specifically children, women (during pregnancy, the postpartum period, and menopause) and the increasing population of older adults. The book concludes with a chapter devoted to pharmacologic interventions, detailing the use of and clinical issues associated with 25 different types of drugs. Additional benefits of the manual include: * A "Pearls and Pitfalls" section of bulleted facts at the beginning of each chapter* Figures, tables, and helpful takeaways (such as a differential diagnosis decision tree and patient questionnaires) in many chapters* An appendix of 65 frequently used abbreviations related to sleep complaints and disorders* Patient handouts that include sleep tips and information on insomnia, abdominal breathing, delayed sleep phase syndrome, melatonin and light treatments, sleep walking, and jet lag No other clinical text provides such a breadth of information on sleep disorders in such a compact, easy-to-carry volume. Its extensive content makes this book ideal for nursing, psychiatric, social work, and family practice settings, as well as a useful teaching implement in medical classrooms. By classifying sleep disorders according to clinical presentation, patient demographic, and related conditions, the Clinical Manual for Evaluation and Treatment of Sleep Disorders offers clinicians a valuable reference tool in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders.

For many years, psychotherapy was criticized for lacking an empirical base, but the basis for that criticism has gradually changed as neurobiological research has advanced and the number of efficacy studies has expanded. The growing literature empirically validating psychotherapy as a treatment, and the abundance of psychotherapies now available, make a comprehensive textbook of psychotherapeutic treatments in psychiatry of central importance, both to practitioners and to trainees in psychiatry and other mental health professions.Glen O. Gabbard, author or editor of more than 22 books and over 280 scientific papers and book chapters, is a leader in the fields of psychiatry and psychoanalysis. He has assembled 50 of the world's most renowned experts in every psychotherapeutic school of thought to create this definitive volume, sure to become the standard text for all student and practicing psychotherapists, whatever their background -- psychiatry, psychology, or social work. This authoritative work boasts many must-have features: - All the major psychotherapeutic modalities are addressed in one volume, including sections on psychodynamic psychotherapy; cognitive therapy; interpersonal psychotherapy; supportive psychotherapy; family systems therapy; the different modalities of couples, group, and family therapies; dialectical behavioral therapy; and mentalization-based therapy.- This comprehensive, utterly current overview of the field is versatile and can be used as a textbook for a course; as a reference for the mental health professional who needs to match a specific type of therapy to a particular patient; or as a clinical handbook.- The sections are structured in a consistent manner, with each featuring individual chapters on theory, technique, indications and efficacy, and the combination of psychotherapy and medication. This allows for the therapies to be easily compared and contrasted and makes navigating the volume effortless.- The text provides chapters on the neurobiological underpinnings of psychotherapy -- a burgeoning field -- and on the nature of professional boundaries in psychotherapy -- as indispensable to the student first contemplating personal and professional ethics as to the clinician actively embodying them.- In addition to the major individual psychotherapies, group, family, and couples therapy are covered, as well as integrative therapies evolved from different models. Treatment outcome depends on carefully matching the therapeutic modality to the patient or client, and this book will both facilitate and enhance that meticulous process. Up-to-date, scientifically rigorous, and exhaustive in its scope, the Textbook of Psychotherapeutic Treatments is the "go-to" text and reference for the knowledgeable, conscientious psychotherapist, in training and in practice.

At last - a new edition of the highly acclaimed book Clinical Trials in Psychiatry This book provides a concise but thorough overview of clinical trials in psychiatry, invaluable to those seeking solutions to numerous problems relating to design, methodology and analysis of such trials. Practical examples and applications are used to ground theory whenever possible. The Second Edition includes new information regarding:* Recent important psychiatric trials* More specific discussion of psychiatry in the USA and the particular problems of trials in the USA, including comments about the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)* An extended chapter on meta-analysis* Further discussion of sub-group analysis Special features include appendices outlining how to design and report clinical trials, what websites and software programs are appropriate and an extensive reference section. From the reviews of the First Edition: "Everitt & Wessely are to be congratulated on producing an excellent guide to help overcome the snags in clinical trial research. Clearly written and in an engrossing style, the book is likely to become a classic textbook on clinical trials, and not just in psychiatry. The authors' enthusiasm and grasp of clinical trial research make for a gripping and insightful read...it is one of the very best books that has been written on clinical trials." THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY "The experience of both authors in this area gives the book a very pragmatic approach grounded in reality, with theoretical overviews invariably being followed by practical examples and applications...an invaluable companion to anyone involved in, or contemplating undertaking, clinical trials research." PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE

Gli scopi principali della diagnosi sono costituiti dalla possibilità da parte dei clinici di avere a disposizione una cornice significativa di riconoscimento della condizione clinica sottostante la presentazione sintomatica, dalla facilitazione della comunicazione fra clinici e dal potenziamento del processo decisionale in funzione del miglioramento dello stato di salute del paziente. In ogni settore della medicina e della psicologia clinica, compresa la medicina psicosomatica, il processo diagnostico è tanto più efficace quanto più si avvicina ai vertici superiori dei tre scopi summenzionati. Tuttavia sappiamo che un ampio numero di sintomi fisici non possono essere spiegati dal modello biomedico ed essere inquadrati nelle branche attuali della medicina interna. Sulla base di un corpo di conoscenze e di ricerche che si va man mano accumulando, questo libro presenta dati empirici e prospettive cliniche per formulare una nuova proposta per il DSM-V, introducendo i Criteri Diagnostici per la Ricerca in Psicosomatica (DCPR) all'interno della rubrica dei Fattori Psicologici che Influenzano una Condizione Medica.

Strumento fondamentale per lo psicologo, spesso i test psicologici sono utilizzati in modo inadeguato dal punto di vista sia teorico sia tecnico-pratico. Se la scelta del test adatto all'ambito di intervento è il primo passo per ottenere un risultato professionalmente valido, la sua corretta applicazione pratica è cruciale al fine di non inficiarne la validità e l'attendibilità dei risultati. Le esercitazioni pratiche proposte in questo volume introducono il lettore all'uso efficace dei test in psicologia: a partire da una serie di esercizi tratti dalla vita reale e di casi di studio vengono così chiarite le modalità di somministrazione, l'attribuzione dei punteggi, l'interpretazione dei risultati.

Lo "Strumento di valutazione per la propensione alla schizofrenia", versione per adulti (SPS-A), valuta un'ampia gamma di lievi disturbi autopercepiti, indicati in origine con il nome di sintomi di base. È stato concepito allo scopo di supportare la diagnosi precoce del primo episodio psicotico, ma, in realtà, rappresenta un valido contributo anche per indagini cliniche e di ricerca lungo le varie fasi della malattia. Lo SPS-A permette un'indagine approfondita di quei disturbi e deficit subclinici che spesso precedono l'episodio psicotico franco e permangono durante le fasi di remissione. Perciò, il libro è rivolto prevalentemente a psichiatri e psicologi interessati alla clinica e alla ricerca scientifica sulle psicosi, ma può risultare interessante anche per altri professionisti del settore, studenti, pazienti e familiari coinvolti nell'assistenza di persone affette da psicosi. I pazienti stessi, inoltre, possono trovare nello SPS-A un valido aiuto per comprendere meglio la loro esperienza soggettiva, spesso tanto difficile da esprimere.

Mentre di solito psichiatri e psicologi evitano la diagnosi di disturbo della personalità in età evolutiva, gli autori di questo volume credono che sia importante riconoscere la formazione del carattere nell'infanzia, studiando il temperamento del bambino e le sue relazioni.