Essentials of Personality Disorders

"This is an excellent, practical overview of personality disorders and manages to cover a great deal of material in a limited amount of space. The chapters on early recognition of symptoms in adolescence and prevention are quite good, as is the section on neurobiology. The treatment sections offer an understanding of different approaches and their effectiveness with different personality disorder populations. I would highly recommend this book to any clinician who wants an updated, practical review of personality disorders."-- "Doody Enterprises", "July 17, 2009"

"In Essentials of Personality Disorders, three recognized experts have largely succeeded in updating and condensing the American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Personality Disorders, published in 2005. John M. Oldham, M.D., M.S., Andrew E. Skodol, M.D., and Donna S. Bender, Ph.D., have amassed contributions by a range of experts into a tour through the ten recognized personality disorders."-- "Brian Palmer, M.D., M.P.H., Psychiatric Services", "May 2010"

An abridged version of The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Personality Disorders, this volume presents the essentials of this topic and is updated with the recent growth of knowledge in the neurosciences and the new technologies being used to tackle the treatment of complex psychiatric disorders. In Essentials of Personality Disorders, 35 international authorities -- all contributors to the parent text -- offer a balance of theory, research, and treatment geared toward ready application in a busy practice.

This volume begins with a review of our evolving understanding of personality disorders and the major theories that have influenced thinking about their nature. A succinct guide to clinical evaluation follows, presenting the defining features of DSM-IV-TR personality disorders, complementary approaches to clinical assessment, patterns of Axis I and Axis II disorder comorbidity, and clinical courses and outcomes. Chapters on etiology reflect the most recent data on epidemiology, progress in understanding underlying neurobiology, a developmental perspective on recognizing early patterns of behavior suggestive of future disorders, and the relevance of childhood experiences to the development of maladaptive personality traits. Eleven chapters on treatment then offer guidelines for determining the appropriate intensity of treatment for patients, followed by a presentation of therapeutic options and considerations ranging from psychoanalysis and group treatment to boundary issues and collaborative treatment.

John M. Oldham, M.D., M.S., is Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at The Menninger Clinic and Professor and Executive Vice Chairman in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Andrew E. Skodol, M.D., is Research Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and President of Sunbelt Collaborative in Tucson, Arizona. Donna S. Bender, Ph.D., is Research Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Chief Executive Officer and Director of Sunbelt Collaborative in Tucson, Arizona.