The Unbalanced Mind

by Julian Leff

Do defective genes give rise to defective thought? The revolution in molecular genetics has indeed given rise to the increasing optimism that advancements in biotechnology will soon uncover the causes of all disturbances of mind and behavior. In this book, leading psychiatrist Julian Leff counters this reductionist claim and emphasizes what is known about the psychological, social, and cultural factors underlying mental illness. In doing so, he addresses many serious and urgent questions. What exactly is the difference between sadness and depression? What are the difficulties in categorizing psychiatric conditions? How are psychiatric diagnoses made in the first place? Are international attempts to standardize diagnosis flawed? Can doctors ever hope to disentangle cause and effect in the treatment of mental illness? What is the influence of emotional relationships on psychiatric conditions? How do public attitudes to mental illness affect choices of treatment? And, finally, what does all this tell us about the cultural causes of mental illness?

Throughout the book Leff also takes stock of the origins and effects of many medications used to treat mental illnesses, from antidepressants such as Prozac to Thorazine, a drug used to treat patients with delusions and hallucinations. Showing how broad social and community forces play into human development, he highlights the importance of life events and external forces in the origin and treatment of depression and schizophrenia. Leff acknowledges the biological basis of mental activity, but underscores the vital role of the social environment.

The Unbalanced Mind addresses such questions

* Why was there a lower rate of diagnosis of schizophrenia in Great Britain than in the United States?

* Why do people with schizophrenia in developing countries have a better rate of recovery?

* How did the USSR use the diagnosis of schizophrenia for political ends?

Full of engaging examples, The Unbalanced Mind provides a clear picture of how mental illnesses are diagnosed and treated―and what is at the root of the cause. As Leff explains, "My vision for the future of psychiatry is one that depends not on technical advances in making images of the brain or replacing bad genes with good ones, but on increasing our understanding of relationships between people."

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2001

Reviews

[Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Psychiatrist Julian Leff is scientifically looking at whether the environment plays an impact on mental illness; in particular schizophrenia and depression. The book covers much of the research done on both depression and schizophrenia. Much of the research has been done by Leff himself. Although I read the entire book, I was more interested in what he had to say about depression, as that is a mental illness that I suffer from. He gives research citing how antidepressants are viewed much more favorably by doctors than by patients. After having been, and continually am on numerous ones, I personally see the benefit of antidepressants. However, he does briefly get into the stigma that you have by having a mental illness. Interesting to note is that, at the time of publishing (2001), there has yet to be any brain scans that have shown neurological signs for either depression or schizophrenia. Although clinical depression involves an imbalance of chemicals to the brain, in particular serotonin and norepinephrine, brain scans do not yet show this. Overall I found certain chapters quite interesting, while in others Leff had a lot of hypothesis with very little to back up his statements. 3.5 stars.