"...this is a gem of a book, a rich source of data, a catalog of needs and problems to solve, and a call for more work... this book is one of encyclopedic proportions. At times a big, solid catalog of topics, at times a rich source of an unusually unique knowledge, it is always imbued with a genuinely compassionate sense for the suffering of many. If only for its wealth of data from so many countries and cultures, it is an exceptional contribution to the literature... The fact that the
Handbook of Cultural Psychiatry is with us (and will be for years to come, with desirable new editions) is reason enough for the enjoyment of learning so much from it."
--AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
"...this volume stands alone as the encyclopedic knowledge repository for the relatively young field of cross-cultural psychiatry... The
Handbook of Cultural Psychiatry covers the broad spectrum of issues related to cross-cultural mental health. To effectively do so, it first lays out for the reader a balanced perspective of the multiple sister disciplines that inform and make up for that hybrid that is, by definition, cross-cultural psychiatry. The history and scope of the field, and the complex interplay among sociology, anthropology, and the various mental health subfields that are at its core are presented in a concise, engaging, and generally not highly technical language. The single voice that the author provides throughout the text is a welcome change to the stylistic Babel that so characteristically pervades most books of comparable girth... it is patently evident what a valiant effort this book represents... It will be hard to top what the
Handbook of Cultural Psychiatry has already done for this mixed breed field..."
-CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY
"The
Handbook of Cultural Psychiatry is probably the first great textbook of cultural psychiatry. Written single-handedly by a giant in the field, the Handbok presents cultural psychiatry in a comprehensive, systematic, and integrated manner. The Handbook is carefully researched and well structured... The Handbook is comprehensive and rich... it serves as a comprehensive reference for students, clinicians, and researchers... The book is also wonderfully illustrated with effective photos that are really worth a thousand words... readers will welcome this highly readable volume, which can serve as a stepping stone to prepare the general reader for specialist readings. The success in balancing between readability and richness and depth is commendable. This seminal piece will help the larger psychiatric audience understand cultural psychiatry... This remarkable piece of work is bound to become a classic reference in psychiatry."
-TRANSCULTURAL PSYCHIATRY
"Putting together this encyclopedic handbook was a mammoth undertaking, even for an author as distinguished as Wen-Shing Tseng... Professor Tseng, with the assistance of a cadre of consultants from around the world, set out to produce a volume on cultural psychiatry that would present the materials systematically, comprehensively, and in an integrated manner. Judging from the organization and content of the book, I believe he has succeeded in his objective... This book is interesting from several perspectives. First, rather than soliciting chapters from multiple contributors, the author did all the writing himself. The result is a broad, well-organized, and synthesized book that reads well and is easy to follow... Second, many subjects are included in this book that are not found in most textbooks on cultural psychiatry--normative human behavior, child development, and migration, among others... Novice students of cultural psychiatry as well as clinicians will find this material helpful. Third, the scope of the subjects the book covers is global... Fourth, the book includes categories of psychiatric phenomena worthy of psychiatric research and examination... This book should be a welcome addition to anyone's library as a basic textbook on culture, mental health, and mental disorders and as a reference text for cultural psychiatry."
-PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES
"The
Handbook of Cultural Psychiatry represents a landmark achievement. As a single-authored text that synthesizes the work of 2000 authors, it provides a richly textured view of progress in cultural psychiatry over the last 40 years. It is destined to become a classic in the field. Richly illustrated with photographs, diagrams, and illuminating case histories, the book is tightly organized... This is a book that belongs in every hospital library, no matter how small, and on the shelf of every psychiatric educator, no matter how specialized."
-JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY
"Its outstanding characteristic is that, although 30 international colleagues were consulted as advisors, the book was written by a single author... It comes across vividly to us as a work that reflects the clear vision and intentions of Professor Wen-Shing Tseng, who has devoled many years of his career to the study of cultural psychiatry... This is a great book that deserves to be used not only by cultural psychiatrists, but also as a desk-side reference for clinicians in their daily clinical work."
-JAPANESE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY
"The
Handbook of Cultural Psychiatry is a highly accessible and comprehenisve textbook which succeeds in communicating a range of complex phenomena by integrating epdemiological, socio-anthropological, sociological and cultural psychological and psychiatric perspectives. All of this is achieved within an easy to read text. This volume does, therefore, have a place on the shelves of those who consider themselves to have a special interest in the area. The breadth of coverage is most impressive ranging from culture and society, culture and mental health, culture and psychopathology, culture in clinical practice and psychological therapies... The beauty of this text is that the work of each discipline is synthesized into a single highly informative and valuable textbook. All those working in areas with multi-cultural populations and those with a special interest in transcultural psychiatry should definitely see this text... The academic rigor of the work is also evident in the range of consultants contributing to the thinking in the book, all of them well-renowned, highly respected authors of international repute. There is currently no other volume like it on the market.
-INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF PSYCHIATRY (Vol. 14, No. 71-73, 2001)
"This book, comprehensive in scope and meticulously organized and cogently presented, examines various aspects of cultural psychiatry... The systematic organization of the material in textbook format is unique to the field and a well needed addition... the book provides an expansive and conclusive array of information. Psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, psychiatry residents and other students of mental health treating culturally diverse patients will find this book a helpful aid toward the understanding of cultural influences in assessment, treatment, practice and research... A thorough appendix of relevant books and an interesting array of photographs and illustrated table are included... Well written, highly organized, and comprehensive, this book presents relevant, useful and timely information for clinicians, scholars, students, and researchers who work with culturally diverse populations and patients. Through an in-depth and integrated presentation of combined knowledge, facts, theories, and research on cultural psychiatry, the author provides a one-stop oasis for learning and developing a culturally sensitive dimension to assist in the understanding of the universal human individual, family and society."
-DOODY PUBLICATIONS
"Tseng's goal was to write the first comprehensive, single-authored handbook on the field... He succeeds admirably, covering the relationship of culture to mental health, psychopathology, clinical practice, and therapy, as well as work with special populations and special problems of cross-cultural research and psychiatric training."
-LIBRARY JOURNAL (October 15, 2001)
"This handbook fills a gap! Undaunted by the increasing flood of publications on culture-and-mental-health topics, Professor Tseng has completed the Herculean labor of producing a single author text that conveys, in comprehensive and consistent form, up-to-date knowledge encompassing the entire field of cultural psychiatry to an international leadership of clinicians, researchers, and students. The present volume is a crowning achievement for a scholar who in the last decade authored or edited numerous books on themes of cross-cultural psychiatry."
-Wolfgang G. Jilek, M.D., M.A., M.Sc., Dipl. Psych., FRCP(C)
Clinical Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia; and former Chair, Transcultural Psychiatric Section, World Psychiatric Association
"This is a unique volume in its comprehensiveness. Scholarly, authoritative, and up-to-date, it is also fresh and vivid. It is relevant for clinicians and researchers alike. It provides an excellent introduction for newcomers to the field, yet it has much to offer to specialists and experts. Dr. Wen-Shing Tseng has succeeded in capturing the excitement of this expanding frontier of mental health investigation and service."
-Juris G. Draguns, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University
"This long-awaited compendium provides a unified overview of the field. After a rich career of research, clinical and teaching experience, the author proves an ideal guide. There is a welcome balance of material from the East and the West, making the volume valuable worldwide."
-Raymond Prince, M.D.
Professor, Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, McGill University; and former Editor,
Transcultural Psychiatric Review
