Dissociation in Children and Adolescents: A Developmental Perspective [Hardcover]

Putnam. (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1572302194 | ISBN-13: 978-1572302198 | Publication Date: August 8, 1997 | Edition: 1

Presenting a comprehensive developmental approach, this book examines the origins and course of normal and pathological dissociation in children and adolescents. The volume illustrates the critical connection between pathological dissociation and trauma, and provides a clear synthesis of what is known about the psychobiology of dissociative disorders and the effects of pathological dissociation on cognition, memory, and behavior. Amply illustrated with clinical vignettes, the book describes an array of diagnostic and treatment techniques and includes reproducible copies of validated dissociation scales for all age groups. This book would be of use to clinicians working with child, adolescent, or adult dissociative clients and with other victims of child maltreatment as well as students of psychology, psychiatry, and related mental health fields. PHOTOCOPY RIGHTS: The publisher grants to individual purchasers of this book nonassignable permission to reproduce the scales it contains for clinical use with their clients.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This beautifully written volume addresses the very core of how children and adolescents organize traumatic experiences: by dissociating. The rich mixture of empirical data and clinical observations makes this the indispensable tool for any clinician or researcher who cares to understand why these children behave the ways they do, and which treatments are effective in alleviating both their own suffering and the pain they often inflict on others." --Bessel A. van der Kolk, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine

"Masterful....It is indeed a rare pleasure to find the most relevant and contemporary research on this topic so well articulated....This is indubitably one of the most useful additions to any professional library." --Eliana Gil, PhD

"Dr. Frank Putnam's most recent book, Dissociation in Children and Adolescents: A Developmental Approach, is a welcome addition to the literature on childhood dissociation. Dr. Putnam reviews relevant research on the role of childhood trauma in the development of dissociative phenomena. Especially noteworthy is Putnam's utilization of a developmental framework in order to conceptualize dissociative symptoms as failures in basic developmental processes. The incorporation of clinical case vignettes brings the concepts described to life and makes them more accessible to the reader.

Dr. Putnam is one of our nation's premier thinkers on dissociation and this book will be extremely helpful to those invested in understanding and treating dissociative disorders of childhood and adolescence." --Dante Cicchetti, PhD, Director, Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester

About the Author

Trained as a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist at Yale University and George Washington University, Frank W. Putnam, MD, is a leading authority on dissociative disorders. He is Chief of Developmental Traumatology at the National Institute of Mental Health and directs clinical research on the effects of maltreatment, community violence, and other types of trauma across the lifespan. He is the author of Diagnosis and Treatment of Multiple Personality Disorder.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 423 pages
• Publisher: Guilford Press; 1 edition (August 8, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572302194
• ISBN-13: 978-1572302198
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #499,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Dissociative Disorders

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful psychological text!!!, August 3, 2007

By 

GoodMonster "GoodMonster" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dissociation in Children and Adolescents: A Developmental Perspective (Hardcover)

I have to say, I have fallen in love with Dr. Putnam's writing through reading this book. Dr. Putnam is clearly well read and is highly experienced in the field of dissociative disorders.

In "Dissociation in Children and Adolescents," Dr. Putnam presents an eloquent mixture of empiracle data and psychological theory. Putnam presents the DBS (Discrete Behavioral State) theory of dissociation in rich detail and also touches on other matters such as psychopharmacology and neuroscience. At times, the text can become slightly dense, but only to a degree (I feel) that makes the book all the more delightful, challenging, and interesting to read.

Overall, I found Putnam's book to be insighful, interesting, and informative. I highly recommend this book not only to those interested in treating children and adolescents, but also to clinicians and students interested in dissociation--how it develops, differential diagnosis, and testing.

Furthermore, Putnam's book includes copies of the DES-II, the A-DES, and the CDC in the back of the book with the repeated and explicit blessing to copy, distribute, and use these tests. Of course, clinicians treating dissociation are probably well aware that Putnam and Carlson are the creators of the DES and its variants.

Again, I highly recommend this book to those treating dissociative patients. I even recommend it to clinicians who are *not* specifically interested in dissociation simply because, when spotted and correctly diagnosed, dissociation is treatable. Read this book!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars understanding dissociation, August 4, 2010

By 

Gary Van Thorntonpatricia Logan "pjlogan-thor... - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dissociation in Children and Adolescents: A Developmental Perspective (Hardcover)

clinically written at the collegiate/post-grad level, this is an excellent text for developing a clear understanding of the process of dissociation as it pertains to personality development in traumatized individuals. purchased used through an amazon seller, tan pony, this book arrived much earlier than the stated shipping date and in excellent condition. I would not hesitate to purchase from this seller again; she keeps her word!