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Psychological disorders in general medical settings
62-l
Book Reviews Psychological GIROLAMO,
Disorders in General Medical Settings. Edited by N SARTORIUS, D GOLDBERG, JAC E SILVA, Y LECRU~IER and H WITTCHEN. New York: Hogrefe and Huber
G DE
1990.
212 pp. THIS international
perspective on psychological disorders in medical settings is published on behalf of the World Health Organisation. Principal themes are the extent of psychological disorders presenting factors determining the recognition of psychological in medical settings, their nature and course, syndromes by doctors, the importance of recognition and treatment and the costs involved. Data are reviewed from a variety of sources and are presented with a strong historical perspective. Most of the contributions are wide ranging in their remit avoiding any narrow sphere of medicine or psychiatry. The exceptions are two chapters devoted to neurasthenia and chronic fatigue which, although well written and interesting, seem to take excessive space in a work which otherwise avoids diversion into specific conditions. Several chapters, such as those dealing with determinants of help seeking, the relationship between physical and psychological disorder and the reasons for misdiagnosis by doctors, are particularly interesting and informative. My principal disappointment was that only two chapters originated from countries outside Europe, those being the United States and Australia. This European influence leads to an emphasis on primary medical care, as much of this work has been conducted there, and much of the American literature on psychological problems presenting in hospital settings is missing. An even more critical gap is the lack of contributions from developing nations. No one book can cover such a large subject comprehensively, however, and the strength of this volume lies in its brevity and clarity. For anyone interested in psychological disorders as they present to non psychiatrists, particularly doctors in primary care, this book is thoroughly worthwhile. MICHAEL KING Book Review Editor
A Guide to Journals in Psychology Press Inc, 1990. 410 pp.
and Education.
Edited by W H LOKE. New Jersey:
The Scarecrow
THIS guide to 356 journals of psychology and education is intended to aid researchers and academics in deciding to which they might best subscribe or submit their work. One is struck immediately by the sheer profusion of journals in these fields. The book which is entirely in tabular format, outlines for each journal the title, publisher and editor and gives pertinent information on the preparation of manuscripts. Information was sought from the journals by postal questionnaire and, unfortunately, in some cases basic information is incomplete. Although this missing information is not common it occurs for several journals which are well known, such as Psychological Reports. The book restricts itself to psychology and education and although listing several journals of psychoanalysis, does not list any in the realm of psychiatry. This introduces a dichotomy into the day to day reality of journals in these fields, where there is considerable overlap between psychology and psychiatry. It is unlikely to appeal to individuals and I suspect also that it will require continuing revision to keep it up to date. Nevertheless, it would be a useful book to have on the library shelf. MICHAEL KING Book Review Editor
Aging, Wiley,
Stress and Health. 1989. 290 pp.
Edited
by KYRIAKOS S. MARKIDES and CARY
L. COOPER. London:
John
I EXPECT I am not the only clinician who thought that the sociological industry, set up in the 1950s and 196Os, had disappeared, killed off by the academic redundancies of ‘real-world’ economics in centres of cogitation, and by the competing renaissance of biological and technical credibility. But I was wrong. Far from my everyday world of cuts and ward closures, people like the contributors to this volume have been continuing the tradition in its most pure form. The process is the same as it ever was. Simple ideas are re-formulated in the most turgid, pompous language possible, a prolix antithesis or two are added, and then ‘evidence’ is catalogued, concluding with a cry for further research. The volume was to ‘bring together scholars from the various perspectives. .to assess and synthesize the emerging literature on how social stress, social support as well as personality factors interact to influence health along the life course’. How can such an aim be achieved? More fashionably, how can you tell when such an aim has
Book Reviews Psychological GIROLAMO,
Disorders in General Medical Settings. Edited by N SARTORIUS, D GOLDBERG, JAC E SILVA, Y LECRU~IER and H WITTCHEN. New York: Hogrefe and Huber
G DE
1990.
212 pp. THIS international
perspective on psychological disorders in medical settings is published on behalf of the World Health Organisation. Principal themes are the extent of psychological disorders presenting factors determining the recognition of psychological in medical settings, their nature and course, syndromes by doctors, the importance of recognition and treatment and the costs involved. Data are reviewed from a variety of sources and are presented with a strong historical perspective. Most of the contributions are wide ranging in their remit avoiding any narrow sphere of medicine or psychiatry. The exceptions are two chapters devoted to neurasthenia and chronic fatigue which, although well written and interesting, seem to take excessive space in a work which otherwise avoids diversion into specific conditions. Several chapters, such as those dealing with determinants of help seeking, the relationship between physical and psychological disorder and the reasons for misdiagnosis by doctors, are particularly interesting and informative. My principal disappointment was that only two chapters originated from countries outside Europe, those being the United States and Australia. This European influence leads to an emphasis on primary medical care, as much of this work has been conducted there, and much of the American literature on psychological problems presenting in hospital settings is missing. An even more critical gap is the lack of contributions from developing nations. No one book can cover such a large subject comprehensively, however, and the strength of this volume lies in its brevity and clarity. For anyone interested in psychological disorders as they present to non psychiatrists, particularly doctors in primary care, this book is thoroughly worthwhile. MICHAEL KING Book Review Editor
A Guide to Journals in Psychology Press Inc, 1990. 410 pp.
and Education.
Edited by W H LOKE. New Jersey:
The Scarecrow
THIS guide to 356 journals of psychology and education is intended to aid researchers and academics in deciding to which they might best subscribe or submit their work. One is struck immediately by the sheer profusion of journals in these fields. The book which is entirely in tabular format, outlines for each journal the title, publisher and editor and gives pertinent information on the preparation of manuscripts. Information was sought from the journals by postal questionnaire and, unfortunately, in some cases basic information is incomplete. Although this missing information is not common it occurs for several journals which are well known, such as Psychological Reports. The book restricts itself to psychology and education and although listing several journals of psychoanalysis, does not list any in the realm of psychiatry. This introduces a dichotomy into the day to day reality of journals in these fields, where there is considerable overlap between psychology and psychiatry. It is unlikely to appeal to individuals and I suspect also that it will require continuing revision to keep it up to date. Nevertheless, it would be a useful book to have on the library shelf. MICHAEL KING Book Review Editor
Aging, Wiley,
Stress and Health. 1989. 290 pp.
Edited
by KYRIAKOS S. MARKIDES and CARY
L. COOPER. London:
John
I EXPECT I am not the only clinician who thought that the sociological industry, set up in the 1950s and 196Os, had disappeared, killed off by the academic redundancies of ‘real-world’ economics in centres of cogitation, and by the competing renaissance of biological and technical credibility. But I was wrong. Far from my everyday world of cuts and ward closures, people like the contributors to this volume have been continuing the tradition in its most pure form. The process is the same as it ever was. Simple ideas are re-formulated in the most turgid, pompous language possible, a prolix antithesis or two are added, and then ‘evidence’ is catalogued, concluding with a cry for further research. The volume was to ‘bring together scholars from the various perspectives. .to assess and synthesize the emerging literature on how social stress, social support as well as personality factors interact to influence health along the life course’. How can such an aim be achieved? More fashionably, how can you tell when such an aim has