Behaviour therapy in clinical psychiatry

Fülszöveg

Behaviour therapy in clinical psychiatry is a thorough, balanced account of the theory, practice and effectiveness of behaviour therapy. This form of treatment, derived from experimentál psychology, plays a growing role in the treatment of many illnesses, such as phobic anxieties, alcoholism, sexual deviations, stammering, tics and enuresis. Its techniques have at times alsó been successfully employed in psychoses, psychosomatic disorders, obsessional neuroses and childhood behaviour disorders. After a brief introduction to psychiatric disorders for readers unfamiliar with clinical psychiatry, chapter 2 gives a full account of the relevant theories of conditioning and learning, and chapter 3 considers how well experimentál psychology can account for psychiatric disorders. Chapter 4 reviews the main methods of treatment in behaviour therapy such as desensitization, aversion therapy, 'flooding' or implosive therapy, and operant conditioning, while chapter 5 looks very carefully at the... Tovább

Fülszöveg

Behaviour therapy in clinical psychiatry is a thorough, balanced account of the theory, practice and effectiveness of behaviour therapy. This form of treatment, derived from experimentál psychology, plays a growing role in the treatment of many illnesses, such as phobic anxieties, alcoholism, sexual deviations, stammering, tics and enuresis. Its techniques have at times alsó been successfully employed in psychoses, psychosomatic disorders, obsessional neuroses and childhood behaviour disorders. After a brief introduction to psychiatric disorders for readers unfamiliar with clinical psychiatry, chapter 2 gives a full account of the relevant theories of conditioning and learning, and chapter 3 considers how well experimentál psychology can account for psychiatric disorders. Chapter 4 reviews the main methods of treatment in behaviour therapy such as desensitization, aversion therapy, 'flooding' or implosive therapy, and operant conditioning, while chapter 5 looks very carefully at the empirical evidence for the effectiveness of these methods. After two chapters that offer a wide-ranging view of current research, chapter 8 confronts the practical world of the clinic - the problems that arise in the selection of patients, selection of symptoms to be treated, method of treatment, selection of therapist, and in the conduct of treatment. An attempt is made', the authors explain, 'to discuss these topics in a constructive manner based on our experience with a variety of behaviour therapy methods employed in the treatment of 150 patients, the majority of whom were suffering from psycho-neurotic disorders with a preponderance of phobic anxiety states.' A short conclusion looks to the prospects of treatment and research in behaviour therapy units. This text should be of interest to those already engaged in clinical practice or research and those undergoing training who may choose to enter this field. It should therefore be of value to those training or practising in clinical psychology, psychiatry, psychiatric social work and occupational therapy. Victor Meyer is Reader in Clinical Psychology, Academjc Department of Psychiatry, Middlesex Hospitál Medical School. Edward S. Chesser is Nuffield Fellow and Honorary Lecturer, Academic Department of Psychiatry, Middlesex Hospitál Medical School. Cover design by Garth Bell United Kingdom 75p 15/- Australia $2.55 NewZealand $2.55 South Africa R1.80 Canada $3.25 Vissza