Manual of Clinical Psychopharmacology » (7th Edition)

Alan F. Schatzberg, M.D., is Kenneth T. Norris, Jr., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California.

Jonathan O. Cole, M.D., was Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston; Senior Consultant at McLean Hospital in Belmont; and Psychiatric Training Consultant at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, Massachusetts.

Charles DeBattista, D.M.H., M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Director of the Depression Clinic and Research Program, and Director of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California.

Since 1986, the Manual of Clinical Psychopharmacology has been the gold standard for applying psychotropic medications to the treatment of specific psychiatric conditions. With each new edition, the book has grown in stature as well as in size, making it the bestselling book of its kind. Its many outstanding features include:

• Foundational information on the general principles of psychopharmacological treatment to ground and orient the reader
• Practical advice, both evidence-based and derived from the authors’ clinical experience, on dosing, titrating, and combining medications, as well as on the potential side effects of specific drugs and combinations
• Extensive coverage of augmentation for treatment-resistant disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia
• A special section on geriatric psychopharmacology, a field that continues to gain prominence as the Baby Boomer generation ages
• Coverage of special topics, including emergency room treatment, pharmacotherapy for substance use disorders, psychotropic medication use and contraindications during pregnancy, pharmacotherapy in persons with mental retardation; legal and ethical issues
• Summary tables of key information on classes of psychotropics, which serve as quick reference guides, as well as an abundance of illustrations and figures

While the information is both up-to-the-minute and comprehensive, perhaps the book’s most compelling attribute is its collegial and accessible writing style. Practicing psychiatrists, psychopharmacologists, pharmacists, and students in psychiatry and pharmacology will find the narrative easy to follow, without sacrificing depth. Reliable, readable, and highly regarded, this new edition of the Manual of Clinical Psychopharmacology continues the tradition established by its predecessors.

Katherine A. Tracy

This third edition provides up-to-date information on drug therapies for psychiatric disorders to aid the clinician in making informed decisions regarding treatment selection as well as subsequent management. The authors present basic and practical information regarding psychiatric medications and provide current information regarding newer agents in a usable clinical guide. Information is derived from scientific literature and common clinical use. This is a useful manual for all practitioners of clinical psychopharmacology. In particular, it should be a valuable resource for medical students and psychiatric residents. Nurses and therapists who care for patients receiving psychotropic medications may also find it useful. An adequate number of tables and figures complement the text. References are current, but the text is sparsely referenced (as acknowledged by the authors). An extensive bibliography follows each chapter, and the appendixes include suggested reading lists for clinicians and for patients and their families. This third edition is a valuable, extremely readable resource for residents in training as well as those currently practicing psychopharmacology. Classes of psychotropic medications are reviewed, including recommendations on selection, dosing, and management of side effects. The authors will often highlight changes in treatment recommendations that have evolved since the earlier edition of 1991. Agents approved since the second edition are reviewed, such as nefazodone, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, risperidone, and olanzapine. Agents not yet approved or not approved for certain indications are also discussed, such as sertindole, quetiapine, gabapentin, andlamotragine. Chapters address varied topics: medicolegal issues, psychoeconomics, combination therapy, and special populations (pregnant women, children and adolescents, mentally retarded, geriatric , and others). This useful and practical reference replaces the earlier edition.