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The first year of bereavement
Journal
of Psychosomatic
Research,Vol. 20, pp. 611 to 613. Per&x&n Press,1976. Printedin Great Britain
BOOK REVIEWS
Genetics and Psychopharmacology. stated.
Ed. by T. A.
BAN et al. S.
Karger, Base1 (1975). pp. 132. Price not
THIS
book contains nine separate papers, mostly from active research workers of high standing. However, the papers are not uniform e.g. the paper by Matsuyama and Jarvik gives a very comprehensive review of the literature on the Cytogenetic Effects of Psychoactive Drugs, whereas the paper by Mendlewicz and Stallone is largely a further research report of their own results. The book does not attempt to give a comprehensive coverage of the field and the glaring omission is that no paper deals in detail with tricyclic antidepressants, yet there are four papers-which deal with monoamine oxidase. However, a very good paper by Winokur reviews the whole field of the relationship of genetic factors to course and drug responses, in schizophrenia, mania and depression. This book illustrates our ignorance rather than our knowledge in an interesting and potentially useful field of research and one feels that the Editor had difficulty filling the book with relevant articles. Perhaps for this reason the title is rather misleading since not all the papers deal with genetics and psychopharmacology, e.g. one excellent paper reviews the present knowledge about monoamine oxidase but contains little or no reference to genetics and another paper is simply research report of the genetic study of Plasma Dopamine B Hydroxylase in Affective Disorder with no reference to psychopharmacology. Despite the variation in standard of the papers the book makes interesting reading and three or four papers are of high quality and should be of interest to general psychiatrists as well as those involved in psychopharmacological research. G. NAYLOR
Bereavement: Studies of Grief in Adult Life. COLIN MURRAY PARKES. Penguin, London (1975). pp. 267. Paperback 80~. The First Year of Bereavement. IRA 0. GLICK, ROBERT S. WEISSand C. MURRAY PARKFS. London, (1975). John Wiley, f7.50. DR. PARKES’ book, first published in 1972, is welcome in its paperback form. He writes clearly and elegantly, describing the initial alarm, the search for the lost object and the factors which influence the outcome of bereavement. Research material is skilfully woven with clinical examples and therapeutic insights are combined with those from ethology and epidemiology. He discusses grief following loss of a limb or moving house, illustrating this from his own study of amputees and the work by Fried on grieving for a lost home. Anyone who meets those who are struggling to deal with their loss will benefit from reading Dr. Parkes’ book. Relatives too might be helped by the clear guidance given about the differences between normal and abnormal reactions to bereavement, as well as practical advice as to where to seek aid. The First Year of Bereavement is an account of a study of 49 widows and 19 widowers aged less than 45 yr. The design of this Harvard study was to tape and transcribe interviews with widows at three intervals after the death of their spouses: after three and eight weeks, and after thirteen months. The study does not set out to be representative, but sought to answer such questions as to what length a normal grief reaction might be, and whether preparation for loss was useful. Dr. Glick and his colleagues give many graphic illustrations of the different aspects of grief. Sometimes the perceptual frame might be better set out, but the vignettes are always illuminating and often moving. The first and last chapters provide a useful review of the literature and an overview of what may be done by those who care for the bereaved. The value of preparation for bereavement is seen in the use of games in childhood (by “death games” and experience with pets dying) to educate for later life, but anticipatory grieving is viewed as of doubtful value. The problems of caring for a dying spouse, and of later “distancing” oneself from the acute distress are discussed. The distinction between linking and bridging phenomena seems useful: both play a part in burying our dead with honour and in resuming a new life without them. GAIUS DAVIES
611
of Psychosomatic
Research,Vol. 20, pp. 611 to 613. Per&x&n Press,1976. Printedin Great Britain
BOOK REVIEWS
Genetics and Psychopharmacology. stated.
Ed. by T. A.
BAN et al. S.
Karger, Base1 (1975). pp. 132. Price not
THIS
book contains nine separate papers, mostly from active research workers of high standing. However, the papers are not uniform e.g. the paper by Matsuyama and Jarvik gives a very comprehensive review of the literature on the Cytogenetic Effects of Psychoactive Drugs, whereas the paper by Mendlewicz and Stallone is largely a further research report of their own results. The book does not attempt to give a comprehensive coverage of the field and the glaring omission is that no paper deals in detail with tricyclic antidepressants, yet there are four papers-which deal with monoamine oxidase. However, a very good paper by Winokur reviews the whole field of the relationship of genetic factors to course and drug responses, in schizophrenia, mania and depression. This book illustrates our ignorance rather than our knowledge in an interesting and potentially useful field of research and one feels that the Editor had difficulty filling the book with relevant articles. Perhaps for this reason the title is rather misleading since not all the papers deal with genetics and psychopharmacology, e.g. one excellent paper reviews the present knowledge about monoamine oxidase but contains little or no reference to genetics and another paper is simply research report of the genetic study of Plasma Dopamine B Hydroxylase in Affective Disorder with no reference to psychopharmacology. Despite the variation in standard of the papers the book makes interesting reading and three or four papers are of high quality and should be of interest to general psychiatrists as well as those involved in psychopharmacological research. G. NAYLOR
Bereavement: Studies of Grief in Adult Life. COLIN MURRAY PARKES. Penguin, London (1975). pp. 267. Paperback 80~. The First Year of Bereavement. IRA 0. GLICK, ROBERT S. WEISSand C. MURRAY PARKFS. London, (1975). John Wiley, f7.50. DR. PARKES’ book, first published in 1972, is welcome in its paperback form. He writes clearly and elegantly, describing the initial alarm, the search for the lost object and the factors which influence the outcome of bereavement. Research material is skilfully woven with clinical examples and therapeutic insights are combined with those from ethology and epidemiology. He discusses grief following loss of a limb or moving house, illustrating this from his own study of amputees and the work by Fried on grieving for a lost home. Anyone who meets those who are struggling to deal with their loss will benefit from reading Dr. Parkes’ book. Relatives too might be helped by the clear guidance given about the differences between normal and abnormal reactions to bereavement, as well as practical advice as to where to seek aid. The First Year of Bereavement is an account of a study of 49 widows and 19 widowers aged less than 45 yr. The design of this Harvard study was to tape and transcribe interviews with widows at three intervals after the death of their spouses: after three and eight weeks, and after thirteen months. The study does not set out to be representative, but sought to answer such questions as to what length a normal grief reaction might be, and whether preparation for loss was useful. Dr. Glick and his colleagues give many graphic illustrations of the different aspects of grief. Sometimes the perceptual frame might be better set out, but the vignettes are always illuminating and often moving. The first and last chapters provide a useful review of the literature and an overview of what may be done by those who care for the bereaved. The value of preparation for bereavement is seen in the use of games in childhood (by “death games” and experience with pets dying) to educate for later life, but anticipatory grieving is viewed as of doubtful value. The problems of caring for a dying spouse, and of later “distancing” oneself from the acute distress are discussed. The distinction between linking and bridging phenomena seems useful: both play a part in burying our dead with honour and in resuming a new life without them. GAIUS DAVIES
611