Description
In the ongoing quest to improve our psychiatric diagnostic system, we are now searching for new approaches to understanding the etiological and pathophysiological mechanisms that can improve the validity of our diagnoses and the consequent power of our preventive and treatment interventions-venturing beyond the current DSM paradigm and DSM-IV framework. This volume represents a far-reaching attempt to stimulate research and discussion in the field in preparation for the start of the DSM-V process, still several years away, and to integrate information from a wide variety of sources and technologies. Produced as a partnership between the American Psychiatric Association and the National Institute of Mental Health, this thought-provoking volume Examines nomenclature issues Reviews genetic, brain imaging, postmortem, and animal model research and includes strategic insights for a new research agenda Outlines recent progress in developmental neuroscience, genetics, psychology, psychopathology, and epidemiology, focusing on the turbulent first two decades of life Suggests a research agenda for personality disorders that uses a dimensional rather than the current categorical approach to diagnosis Reevaluates the relationship between mental disorders and disability, asserting that diagnosis and disability must be uncoupled Examines the importance of culture in psychopathology and the main cultural variables at play in the diagnostic process This fascinating work, with contributions from an international group of research investigators, reaches into the core of psychiatry, providing invaluable background and insights for all psychology and psychiatry professionals-food for thought and further research that will be relevant for years to come.
