TOPIC: Psychology

Reviews the history of diagnosis in psychiatry, emphasizing the limitations for classification of our current lack of knowledge of the causes of most mental disorders. It emphasizes that, in the absence of biomarkers, current categories can only be considered provisional. It takes a critical look at schema for spectra and dimensionaliztion of diagnosis, examines the borders between normality and psychopathology, and discusses the problem of clinical utility. Chapters on all the major diagnoses in psychiatry, in which the main problems of diagnosis are addressed, and in which all changes in DSM-5 are described.

Including more than 11,000 definitions, this authoritative and up-to-date dictionary covers all branches of psychology. Clear, concise descriptions for each entry offer extensive coverage of key areas including cognition, sensation and perception, emotion and motivation, learning and skills,language, mental disorder, and research methods.

An estimated 19.2 million adults in the United States have experienced some form of phobia, ranging from the common fear of large dogs to the unusual fear of gravity, fear of developing a fever, or fear of strange people. Anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness in the U.S., afflicting approximately 13.3 percent of all adults. Although phobias and anxiety disorders can be devastating, there are many effective treatments and therapies that can lead to successful outcomes. This covers all aspects of these mental disorders, from the mildest to the severest.

The Cambridge Dictionary of Psychology is the first and only dictionary that surveys the broad discipline of psychology from an international, cross-cultural, and interdisciplinary focus. Thus entries related to culture, as well as those from all domains of psychology, are written with the broadest possible audience in mind. Also, many keywords central to contemporary psychology were incorporated that are not included in many competitors, including the Oxford and APA dictionaries.

This new edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose and classify mental disorders, is the product of more than 10 years of effort by hundreds of international experts in all aspects of mental health. The criteria are concise and explicit, intended to facilitate an objective assessment of symptom presentations in a variety of clinical settings--inpatient, outpatient, partial hospital, consultation-liaison, clinical, private practice, and primary care. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, is the most comprehensive, current, and critical resource for clinical practice available to today's mental health clinicians and researchers of all orientations. The information contained in the manual is also valuable to other physicians and health professionals, including psychologists, counselors, nurses, and occupational and rehabilitation therapists, as well as social workers and forensic and legal specialists.