- Email: [email protected]
Annual progress in child psychiatry and child development
:&A
BOOK REVIEWS
S. Cw~ss and A. THOMAS (Eds.): Anrtuul Pro(/ies.s in Citilrl Psychiatry New York (1972). x + 732 pp. Qt 500
urid Chid Drreinpme~r.
1971.Brunncr
Marel,
This is the fifth volume ofa series which annually reprmts papers regarded by the editors to he important contributions to the literature ofchiid psychiatry and child development. The twelve sectlons of this volume. containing papers published in 1971. range widely from infancy and cognitive development to autism. treatment and the delivery of services. It is not. ofcourse. possible to comment on each of the forty-two papers included in the 1972 volume. However. the choice ofpapers conveys the broad orientation of the editors. This is well illustrated in the ‘Treatment’ se&on which includes papers on drug therapy, psychotherapy and behaviour therapy. as well as a paper on helping hlmd infants and one on training parents of autistic chrldren. It is an orientation which readers of this journal will welcome. particuiarly if they have on11 experienced the traditional. somewhat narrow outlook in child psychiatry. This selection. like ICSpredecessors and those which hopefully will follow it, reflects a comprehensive, open-minded approach. As such. it is very welcome. M. B~XGIK
J. SNMPHAUZER:
Behauiour Therapy WirlrDeirnqu~m. Charles C. Thomas.
Springfield.
1973. 376 pp. PI I.95
The extension of behaviour therapy to juvenile delinquents is of even more recent origin than its application to neurotic [and more rarely psychotic) patients. This volume reprints a number of publications in this area (many of them taken from Brharinw Research and Ti~rrapy. and consequently presumably not unknown to readers); it also contains some original material. and linking comments by the editor. There are four parts. The first conrains introductory papers dealing with behaviour therapy in general. and wirh basic scientific. ethical and practical issues. Part 2 presents some basic research papers. while part 3 deals with the modification of delinquent behaviour in institutions. The last part deals with the modification of delinquent behaviour in the community. There are 22 papers in all, some of them quite short. others much longer. with the majority of course being the usual journal article length. The interest and quality are quite variable: so is the level at which the articles are pitched. Some are very elementary, others presuppose some degree of sophistication. It is not too clear for what type of audience this book is meant; presumably the editor hopes to cover penologists with little knowledge of psychology as well as experienced psychologists developing an interest in this area. It would be impossible to review in detail all these varied offerings. One article. however. aroused amusement as well as interest. Robert Levinson and his colleagues. noting that juvenile dehnquents are not overly fond of psychotherapy of the ‘insight’-giving kind. decided to use it as an aversive stimulus m a behaviour modification setting; apparently it worked very well in this role! As the authors remark. “the idea of group therapy being labelled ‘aversive’ rankles many therapists.” This certamly is an original use for the many psychotheraplsts who will be displaced by the growth of behaviour therapy.
DOUGLAS
A. BERNSTEIN and THOMAS D. BORKOV~C. P~~ogicssiccRdasorior~ Truimq. A Munuul For The Hdpiny Press; Champaign. Illinois 66pp. $4.25
Pr@essions. 1973. Research
This manual is based on Jacobson’s technique and the later moditications of it b> Joseph Wolpe. It introduces relaxation training with a discussion of its background and origin, experiments demonstrating its effectiveness (particularly experiments with insomnia) and experiments comparing it with other techniques like hypnosis. The main sectlon of the manual is a careful and detailed exposition of the precise techniques of relaxation training. with an appendix of ‘relaxation patter’ and a short demonstration record. The authors are thorough. discussing targets and limitations, assessment of progress, description of rationale to clients and in a separate chapter, problems which may arise and suggested solutions. The manual is in paperback form, quite expensive at $4.25 (about f i.gOp) but well-produced and fairly well written. It is complete in itself. and wit1 be helpful not only to learning clinicians but also to research workers who need standardized procedures. Since this manual fills a gap in the literature I think it will appeal strongly to ali workers who need to learn the techniques of progressive relaxation training. and the authors have largely avoided jargon so that it really can be understood by anyone. MARTIN RAW
BOOK REVIEWS
S. Cw~ss and A. THOMAS (Eds.): Anrtuul Pro(/ies.s in Citilrl Psychiatry New York (1972). x + 732 pp. Qt 500
urid Chid Drreinpme~r.
1971.Brunncr
Marel,
This is the fifth volume ofa series which annually reprmts papers regarded by the editors to he important contributions to the literature ofchiid psychiatry and child development. The twelve sectlons of this volume. containing papers published in 1971. range widely from infancy and cognitive development to autism. treatment and the delivery of services. It is not. ofcourse. possible to comment on each of the forty-two papers included in the 1972 volume. However. the choice ofpapers conveys the broad orientation of the editors. This is well illustrated in the ‘Treatment’ se&on which includes papers on drug therapy, psychotherapy and behaviour therapy. as well as a paper on helping hlmd infants and one on training parents of autistic chrldren. It is an orientation which readers of this journal will welcome. particuiarly if they have on11 experienced the traditional. somewhat narrow outlook in child psychiatry. This selection. like ICSpredecessors and those which hopefully will follow it, reflects a comprehensive, open-minded approach. As such. it is very welcome. M. B~XGIK
J. SNMPHAUZER:
Behauiour Therapy WirlrDeirnqu~m. Charles C. Thomas.
Springfield.
1973. 376 pp. PI I.95
The extension of behaviour therapy to juvenile delinquents is of even more recent origin than its application to neurotic [and more rarely psychotic) patients. This volume reprints a number of publications in this area (many of them taken from Brharinw Research and Ti~rrapy. and consequently presumably not unknown to readers); it also contains some original material. and linking comments by the editor. There are four parts. The first conrains introductory papers dealing with behaviour therapy in general. and wirh basic scientific. ethical and practical issues. Part 2 presents some basic research papers. while part 3 deals with the modification of delinquent behaviour in institutions. The last part deals with the modification of delinquent behaviour in the community. There are 22 papers in all, some of them quite short. others much longer. with the majority of course being the usual journal article length. The interest and quality are quite variable: so is the level at which the articles are pitched. Some are very elementary, others presuppose some degree of sophistication. It is not too clear for what type of audience this book is meant; presumably the editor hopes to cover penologists with little knowledge of psychology as well as experienced psychologists developing an interest in this area. It would be impossible to review in detail all these varied offerings. One article. however. aroused amusement as well as interest. Robert Levinson and his colleagues. noting that juvenile dehnquents are not overly fond of psychotherapy of the ‘insight’-giving kind. decided to use it as an aversive stimulus m a behaviour modification setting; apparently it worked very well in this role! As the authors remark. “the idea of group therapy being labelled ‘aversive’ rankles many therapists.” This certamly is an original use for the many psychotheraplsts who will be displaced by the growth of behaviour therapy.
DOUGLAS
A. BERNSTEIN and THOMAS D. BORKOV~C. P~~ogicssiccRdasorior~ Truimq. A Munuul For The Hdpiny Press; Champaign. Illinois 66pp. $4.25
Pr@essions. 1973. Research
This manual is based on Jacobson’s technique and the later moditications of it b> Joseph Wolpe. It introduces relaxation training with a discussion of its background and origin, experiments demonstrating its effectiveness (particularly experiments with insomnia) and experiments comparing it with other techniques like hypnosis. The main sectlon of the manual is a careful and detailed exposition of the precise techniques of relaxation training. with an appendix of ‘relaxation patter’ and a short demonstration record. The authors are thorough. discussing targets and limitations, assessment of progress, description of rationale to clients and in a separate chapter, problems which may arise and suggested solutions. The manual is in paperback form, quite expensive at $4.25 (about f i.gOp) but well-produced and fairly well written. It is complete in itself. and wit1 be helpful not only to learning clinicians but also to research workers who need standardized procedures. Since this manual fills a gap in the literature I think it will appeal strongly to ali workers who need to learn the techniques of progressive relaxation training. and the authors have largely avoided jargon so that it really can be understood by anyone. MARTIN RAW