Psychopathology: Foundations for a Contemporary Understanding

by James E. Maddux (Editor)

The fourth edition of Psychopathology is the most up-to-date text about the etiology and treatment of the most important psychological disorders. Intended for first-year graduate students in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and related programs, this new edition, revised to be consistent with the DSM-5, continues to focus on research and empirically-supported information while also challenging students to think critically. The first part of the book covers the key issues, ideas, and concepts in psychopathology, providing students with a set of conceptual tools that will help them read more thoroughly and critically the second half of the book, which focuses on specific disorders. Each chapter in the second and third sections provides a definition, description, and brief history of the disorder it discusses, and outlines theory and research on etiology and empirically-supported treatments. This edition also features a companion website hosting lecture slides, a testbank, an instructor’s manual, case studies and exercises, and more.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Counselling

500 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2004

Reviews

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Studying for MFT licensure exam.
Will review ASAIP (as soon as I pass)

[Robert Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for an introductory text on psychopathology, whether for your own interest or as part of a late-undergraduate or early-graduate course on the subject, you could do a lot worse than this book. However, don't expect to gain much depth of understanding from the book's brief treatments of its various subjects. Each chapter deals with a couple of related mental disorders, and the discussions are good enough to give you a broad sense of what each disorder is and how it's often treated. You get a little more depth of understanding (though in some cases, not by much) than if you just read the DSM entry for each subject. But if you really want to UNDERSTAND any of these disorders, expect to spend some time going through the references--fortunately, the book is quite well documented.

I particularly appreciate that the book is a fairly straight forward and no-frills kind of text. The few figures or illustrations included genuinely do aid understanding, making this book a refreshing stand-out from the modern trend of padding textbooks with unnecessary and often distracting photographs and illustrations.

However, where the book slips substantially is in its treatment of some of the more controversial subjects within psychopathology. There are many controversies that have to do with substance abuse disorders, dissociative identity disorder, the prevalence of several childhood disorders, and (these days probably most substantially) gender dysphoria. In some cases, the book at least makes mention of these differing views and controversies, but never fully develops the subject. Given the importance of these controversies not only in clinical practice but also in research, politics, and law, ignoring them leaves the reader unprepared for precisely the kinds of discussions a book such as this is intended to prepare the reader for.

If you already have a decent understanding of psychopathology, there's relatively little new here for you to learn. Likely you'll find some useful information on the prevalence, etiology, or treatment of some of the specific disorders with which you aren't quite as familiar, but you might want to ask yourself whether you'd be better off saving the purchase price and just doing some independent digging after consulting your copy of the latest edition of the DSM. On the other hand, if you're entirely new to the subject and have a little bit of background in general psychology and/or neurobiology, this book might be the kind of introduction you're looking for.

[Roxy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book's dedication to offering alternative perspectives, including a dimensional model for understanding psychopathology, and in reviewing the history of the DSM, critiquing the DSM, and highlighting the socially constructed nature of our understanding of psychopathology.

[Misty Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acutally enjoyed reading this textbook. Short chapters make is so much easier to read in textbooks.

[Christie Gribschaw Lauch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was great for understanding pathology but the writer made the book quite dense. Could have been much better if it was lightened up and more of it had been retained.