Essential Psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applications

by Stephen M. Stahl

Essential Psychopharmacology explains the neurobiological concepts underlying the drug treatment of psychiatric disorders, with particular emphasis on the principles of chemical neurotransmission. For the student learning psychopharmacology for the first time, this book provides an easily readable introduction to the subject. For the physician or scientist with prior background in the field, the book is organised to provide a quick review of the key dimensions of psychopharmacology and the drug treatment of mental illness. The clearly written text is supplemented by a wealth of high-quality colour graphics that are both instructive and entertaining. These illustrations and their captions may be used independently of the main text for a rapid introduction to the field, or for review. Covering both the neurobiology of drug action, and the range of psychiatric disorders and their treatments, this book will indeed be an essential text for students, scientists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals.

Genres: Psychiatry, Reference, Psychology, Nonfiction, Textbooks, Science, Medicine

391 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 1996

Reviews

[Irving]

A perfect primer for study, with Stahl's famously easy-to-understand diagrams throughout. Despite the title, don't expect to be able to understand every possible drug action after reading this - the 'basis' part is fantastic if basic, but the 'practical applications' should definately be considered a jumping-off point rather than an end in themselves.

Those looking for a textbook for out-of-home study might be better off investing in some of the separate volumes of the Essential Psychopharmacology series, as this one is perfectly large enough to kill somebody with if aimed correctly.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just putting it on here cause I actually have made it through like 2/3s of it... It does as a text book have a noted sense of bias in terms of the science it likes and doesn't, but the basic idea - that you should have a clue about how drugs work and a logical method for using them is hard to argue against.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Wish it had more notes on off-label strategies for pediatrics. Still a wonderful resource for novice psychopharm prescribers like myself.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm finished, at last! There is a lot of information in this book and I did learn a lot and I will refer to it in the future. I feel as though I'd like to get this information a little closer to the original research, but that would be a daunting task. Stahl does distill the basic research down, but I still feel he's oversimplifying the science, but encouraging unduly complicated treatments. And, unlike most psychiatrists I know, I hate the diagrams! If I never see another one of those diagrams again, my life will be so much better.

[Miguel V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pristine, simple yet enriching. The author writes in a very understandable way, enough information about each pharmaceutical yet clear enough to not get lost in details. I love this book, teaches well about psychopharmacology and it has become my main reference book. Illustrations help a lot to understand the concepts in a very friendly and didactic way.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the read, granted I had to do a lot of other reading to supplement this and help me better understand the concepts! Prob would've been easier to understand if I had read this while I was in school.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as recommended in the intro: go through the pictures first, then read the text with the pictures from cover to cover, then go through the pictures once more. Insanely great pedagogy. A donkey could understand SSRIs

[Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

A través de gráficos, metáforas y el grado justo de redundancia han conseguido un manual realmente didáctico para una materia muy compleja.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to understand and a good step-one for beginners in psychopharmacology field

[Dr. Jeffrey H. Schnitzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't a book one finishes - it's a reference book - and it is a very good one.

[Laurrie Lorenzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for those in behavioral health.

[Psyguy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tough read; really a reference book, but Stahl is the best. He is well known for his vibrant illustrations.

[Sheziss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo dice el título.

Psicofarmacología.

Esencial.

De un señor llamado Stahl.

[Muhammad al-Khwarizmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good intro to a diverse array of psychopharmacological topics, though somewhat outdated. For instance, aripiprazole, commercially known as Abilify, was identified as a compound being researched as of the publication, whereas it is now widely prescribed.

A few minor gripes: I don't mind the informal language as such—in fact, I legitimately laughed when I saw the phrase "whining for dopamine" in the chapter on drugs of abuse—but was somewhat irked by occasional undesirable imprecision in the language being used.

Also, no footnotes. I couldn't for instance find where the author had gotten the amazing assertion that 20% of federal disability days are from schizophrenia, though I later found evidence for it.

This was an amazingly fast read though.

After you read this, you should have a good sense of direction. Should of course be supplemented with more recent and in-depth knowledge where necessary. As of this writing, e.g. Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology is up to date.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psychopharm is :awesome:

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well liked approach to understanding psychopharmacology

[Winnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We used the 2013 new edition. Stahl made the contents approachable and friendly. Pharmacology isn't that painful after all.