Modelling Managing Depressive Order

by Gordon Parker

The DSM and ICD mental illness classificatory systems define mood disorder as essentially a single condition varying only by severity. Gordon Parker and Vijaya Manicavasagar expose the weaknesses in the existing models, and describe a new approach to sub-typing and managing depression based on there being some specific defined manifestations, including melancholia and psychotic depression, as well as versions of the condition highly dependent on life stresses and personality styles. They argue that depression can exist as a disease, a disorder, a syndrome and a normal reaction, and it therefore requires a multi-modal approach to conceptualization and management.

260 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2001

About the author

Gordon Parker is Scientia Professor of Psychiatry at the University of NSW, Professorial Fellow at the Black Dog Institute, and a renowned researcher and expert on mood disorders. Kerrie Eyers is a psychologist based at the Black Dog Institute, Sydney. Gordon Parker and Kerrie Eyers are editors of the bestselling Journeys with the Black Dog and several other books on depression. Philip Boyce is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney, Professorial Fellow at the Black Dog Institute, and an international expert on postnatal depression.

Reviews

[Katerina Bilitou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book from Cambridge University Press, that I got when at Cambridge back in the end of 2007. It outlines the different subtypes of non-melancholic depression and describes the personality styles, such as perfectionist, social avoidance, rejection sensitivity etc. As a clinical guide, it makes recommendations about the types of psychological intervention for each, types of therapist that would best fit as well as suggested intervention strategies and potential barriers. There are also quite few graphs on proposed neuro-transmitter models but these you can skim through if not interested.