Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia: Helping Your Loved One Get the Most Out of Life »

Kim T. Mueser, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and professor in psychiatry and community and family medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. His clinical and research interests include the treatment of schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder and the diagnosis and treatment of people with multiple disorders. He has published extensively and lectures often on the topic of psychiatric rehabilitation. He lives in Henniker, New Hampshire.

Susan Gingerich, MSW, is a clinician and consultant with more than 20 years of clinical experience working with people who have severe mental illness and their families. She has an independent practice in Philadelphia.

Dr. Mueser and Ms. Gingerich have coauthored four books.

Will the person you love ever get better? Chances are you've grappled with the question. With care and support from their families, people with schizophrenia can and do make vast improvements. Noted therapists Kim Mueser and Susan Gingerich deepen your understanding of the illness and cover a wide range of effective treatments. Based on decades of research and experience, they offer pragmatic suggestions for dealing with depression, psychosis, and other symptoms. They show you how to prioritize needs, resolve everyday problems, and encourage your loved one to set life goals. Plus, individual sections highlight special issues for parents, children, siblings, and partners. Whether you’re facing schizophrenia for the first time or you’ve dealt with its impact for years, you’ll discover innovative ways to handle challenges that arise over the course of treatment, from reducing the chances of relapse to making friends and finding work. Recovery isn't an endpoint--it's a lifelong journey. With love, hope, and realistic optimism, striving for it can lead to a richer, more rewarding life for your entire family.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Nicholas Greco IV, MS, BCETS, CATSM(Abbott Laboratories)
Description:This is one of the most thorough, well written, and meaningful books ever written for family members and friends of those with schizophrenia. This book contains more than just basic information, yet maintains a readable and compassionate stance.
Purpose:The purpose is to provide family and friends with the information to effectively play a well informed role in the care of their loved one. Families are demanding more than just the ability to cope with their loved one's illness, and this book answers those demands with information essential for the new role that family and friends are embracing. This book is a most powerful tool that enables an active presence of family and friends that are so essential in the lives of our patients.
Audience:First and foremost, family and friends will benefit tremendously from this book. In addition, it is essential reading for graduate students in the mental health professions as it provides a different perspective which will aid in their learning and eventual growth as mental healthcare providers. The authors are well known members of the mental health community. This book is one of Dr. Mueser's finest contributions to the field.
Features:The authors do a wonderful job of explaining schizophrenia, thus providing the needed background to explore such topics as special issues for family members and relapse prevention. The section on relapse prevention is essential to ultimately creating the supportive environment. As persons with schizophrenia do have unique issues, part five is devoted to specific problems such as the psychotic (positive) symptoms, the negative symptoms, cognitive problems, anxiety, depression, anger and violence, and alcohol and substance abuse. As many clinical studies have begun to assess the quality of life, the authors provide a lengthy and appropriate discussion on these issues. The affordable price makes the book accessible to the general public.
Assessment:This is one of the most valuable books that any concerned family member or friend of a person with schizophrenia will read. If one is looking for a complete, unbiased, and informative family guide on schizophrenia, look no further!