Synopses & Reviews
Campbell's Psychiatric Dictionary is widely recognized as the definitive dictionary of psychiatry--up-to-date, comprehensive, and authoritative. Distinguished by its clarity and scholarship, it is unique among dictionaries in providing nearly encyclopedic discussions of many of the most important entries.
The Ninth Edition is nearly double the size of the previous edition and has been updated, revised, and vastly expanded to cover the explosion of new words and terms in psychiatry (including terms reflective of the debate now informing the development of the DSM-V), neuroscience, cognitive and clinical psychology, and neurodegenerative diseases as well as relevant terms and concepts from a wide range of related fields, including genetics, imaging, general medicine, forensic psychiatry, and sociology. It also covers the full range of treatments, including psychopharmacologic agents, behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, interpersonal therapy, and other brief therapies. The entries are clearly written, so that they can be understood by non-psychiatrists (including general readers), and they feature cross-references, so that readers can easily locate all the relevant information on a topic.
Campbell's is written for the working library of a broad and diverse readership of specialists and non-specialists that includes psychiatrists, residents, neurologists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, counselors, lawyers, claims reviewers, and lay readers with an interest in mental health issues.
Review
"Once again, Dr. Campbell has produced a work of prodigious scholarship that belongs on the shelf of every trainee and in every psychiatric clinic." --JAMA
From reviews of previous editions:
"If you frequently read contemporary psychiatric, psychological, or sociologic literature, you should own this dictionary. That it has continued into the seventh edition is probably more convincing praise than I can give. If you own the sixth edition, you should consider buying the new one: Campbell has added more than 2000 new terms and has taken pains to incorporate new terms and diagnostic criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV of the American Psychiatric Association. And for a book this size and content, its price is eminently fair."--Edward J. Huth, M.D., in Annals of Internal Medicine
"One of the stated aims of this work is to provide a dictionary that is comprehensible to the nonspecialist, and Campbell achieves that aim. For this reason, this work is recommended for libraries supporting degree programs in psychology, counseling, and social work. As for selection by medical school libraries, the dictionary is a must..."--Penny Pagangelis in American Reference
Review
"This psychiatric dictionary by Campbell...is a broadly recognized, up-to-date, comprehensive, and authoritative source...highly recommended." -- Choice
"This psychiatric dictionary by Campbell...is a broadly recognized, up-to-date, comprehensive, and authoritative source intended to inform readers about new developments in psychiatry and related fields. The ninth edition is almost double the size of the eighth...and has been revised and expanded through the addition of new definitions in psychiatry, neuroscience...and psychology. The entries are clearly written, comprehensive, and cross-referenced....Highly recommended."--CHOICE
"...a...comprehensive listing of every word that could possibly be used in psychiatry...I shall be happy to have it in my library for reference." --The ScienceBlogs Book Club
Synopsis
The eighth edition of Campbell's Psychiatric Dictionary continues to pursue its goal of keeping the reader abreast of new developments in psychiatry. Technological advances have enabled researchers to trace neurotransmission, to uncover the mechanisms of drug action, and to monitor brain activity in real time. Psychiatry has increasingly embraced the neurosciences in studies of learning and memory, sleep and dreaming, and behavioral genetics. There has been cross-fertilization with different fields - among them pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry, and experimental and developmental psychology - and many terms from those disciplines have been incorporated into the Dictionary.
This edition reflects achievements not only in the basic sciences but also in their practical application. Studies of different forms and combinations of treatments continue to refine and individualize approaches to the particular patient. To make all of this meaningful to mental health professionals and to those outside that field who are interested in what psychiatry is doing to meet the needs of its patients, the editor has retained the encyclopedic approach to the definition of many terms. That, plus the liberal use of cross-references between entries, should make it easier for the reader to access the information that is sought.
About the Author
Robert J. Campbell, M.D. is Professor of Psychiatry at Cornell-Weill Medical College in New York City.