Anxiety Disorders in Adults: A Clinical Guide [Hardcover]

Vladan Starcevic (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 14, 2004

Each of the adult anxiety disorders (panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder) is presented in a separate chapter of this volume. As the rich description of each disorder is a prerequisite for their recognition, understanding and diagnosis, the book focuses on clinical features, psychopathology and the corresponding conceptual issues. There is also an emphasis of etiological factors, pathogenetic processes, and pharmacological and psychological treatments of each anxiety disorder, as adequate treatment depends crucially on the clinician's understanding of the origins of these conditions and the processes involved in their occurrence.
The volume is guided by a practical need to present the anxiety disorders as they occur and as they are treated in the "real world." As such, this work is intended to be a state-of-the-art reference for clinical practice, aiming to balance and integrate what is currently known about anxiety disorders and their treatment. It contains descriptions of the relevant diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, practical tips, and treatment recommendations for the commonly encountered clinical situations. The book is most useful to psychiatrists, primary care physicians, clinical psychologists, other mental health workers, and physicians in training. It is also of interest to a general audience.

Editorial Reviews

From The New England Journal of Medicine

The prevailing system for the diagnosis of anxiety disorders in the United States derives from the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III), published by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980. DSM-III broke with the past in discarding the notion of "neurosis" in favor of an avowedly descriptive and atheoretical approach. Nowhere was the effect of this change greater than in the category of anxiety disorders, which had been classically considered to be neuroses. The current incarnation of the manual, DSM-IV-TR (Text Revision), serves as the point of reference for this book by Vladan Starcevic, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Sydney. His intent is to present a "real world" guide to the diagnosis, understanding, and treatment of the anxiety disorders. After a brief conceptual overview, the book devotes a chapter to each of the major anxiety diagnoses (panic, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder). Each chapter is then organized into sections on clinical features, relationship to other disorders, assessment, epidemiology, course, etiology and pathogenesis, biologic and psychological models, and treatment. The result is a remarkably accessible book that conveys a great deal of clinically useful information. Although expository elegance is not his strength, Starcevic more than compensates for this limitation by focusing on the areas he feels are important, explaining them in comprehensible terms and repeating them if he wants them to stick. He uses many tables to underscore key facts and concepts, and he generally omits the kind of esoterica that only specialists find compelling. This gives the reader the gratifying sense that the book was written to edify rather than to dazzle. Its didactic authority is reinforced by the clear impression one gets that the author has the clinical experience to back up his assertions. His acknowledgment of the kinds of problems often encountered in the translation of textbook recommendations into actual treatment is consistently reassuring. A detailed examination of the historical origins of contemporary approaches to anxiety is not included, nor is a close consideration of current theoretical and diagnostic issues. The attention given to neurobiologic research on anxiety has an obligatory quality, reflecting either the author's lack of enthusiasm or his judgment that these findings are of less immediate clinical relevance than are others. In contrast, Starcevic's discussions of psychological models and therapies are animated and clear, a major strength of the book. One topic that would have benefited from closer treatment is the increasing tendency among clinicians to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with borderline personality disorder, an issue that is particularly challenging for practitioners. Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent in the general population as well as in general medical practice. Ironically, though, medical students learn little about them, because the typical required psychiatry clerkship is on an inpatient service, and anxiety disorders do not usually necessitate hospitalization. Accessible as it is, this book deserves a wide readership among those who are going to take care of patients with anxiety disorders, and experienced clinicians will find it to be an engaging review. Lawrence H. Price, M.D.
Copyright © 2005 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS.

Review

". . . a remarkably accessible book that conveys a great deal of clinically useful information . . . He uses many tables to underscore key facts and concepts, and he generally omits the kind of esoterica that only specialists find compelling. This gives the reader the gratifying sense that the book was written to edify rather than to dazzle. Its didactic authority is reinforced by the clear impression one gets that the author has the clinical experience to back up his assertions . . . Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent in the general population as well as in general medical practice . . . Accessible as it is, this book deserves wide readership among those who are going to take care of patients with anxiety disorders, and experienced clinicians will find it to be an engaging review."--INew England Journal of Medicine

"Its approach to pharmacologic management is especially useful, as it covers monotherapy as well as the oft-needed combination regimens...offers the advantages of stylistic consistency and readability of a single-author volume but does this with an objective, data-driven approach enhanced by the clinical experience of the author...a practical and highly readable entry point for clinicians."--Psychological Medicine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 440 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition (October 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195156064
• ISBN-13: 978-0195156065
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,783,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Anxious review, March 2, 2009

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Paul Medina (Midland, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Anxiety Disorders in Adults: A Clinical Guide (Hardcover)

Excellent review of general anxiety disorders and treatment options. I found it to be informative and practical in it's approach to a very complex set of problems. While it cannot be said to be comprehensive it certainly can be used to form a solid foundation on which to expand my knowlegde base. It has helped me to serve my patients better. I recommend this book to any Physician's Assistant or N.P.