Abnormal Psychology and Life: A Dimensional Approach

by Christopher A. Kearney, Timothy J. Trull

Chris Kearney and Tim Trull's ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY AND LIFE: A DIMENSIONAL APPROACH provides students with a concise, contemporary, science-based view of psychopathology that emphasizes the individual first and the disorder second. Through consistent pedagogy featuring clinical cases and real first-person narratives, the text illuminates our understanding that abnormal behavior--rather than being either present or absent--exists in everyone to some degree on a continuum from normal to pathological. By highlighting this widely accepted dimensional view--which places the behavior of an individual at the forefront of clinical assessment, prevention, definition, and treatment--the text's goal is to encourage students to become intelligent consumers of mental health information. With its emphasis on assessment and treatment as well as prevention, the book gives students the tools necessary to understand the precursors of abnormal behavior, overcome the stigma associated with it, and identify the real people classified as exhibiting it.

Genres: Textbooks, Psychology

608 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 1 out of 5]

It did have a few saving graces, like the dimensional approach, but there were so many issues with this book.

I felt constantly frustrated by the book. It forgot to mention a lot of science out there that the authors must have been unaware of. It spoke of many theories like fact (the DSM, the chemical imbalance theory) and did not bring up important masses of research that challenge it. A good textbook would mention these things.

It was particularly painful to me, after having just taken a developmental psychology class where the textbook was excellent and really did a full a detailed analysis--bringing up research and theoretical discussions I had heard mention in TED Talks and recent research that I saw coming out. However, the authors of THIS book did not gain my trust and did not seem to have all the information. This book needs a major overhaul and serious revision.

I spent a lot of time looking elsewhere to fill in what this book left out.

Some examples:
-the book, Beyond the DSM Story: Ethical Quandaries, Challenges, and Best Practices, ed. by Eriksen & Kress
-www.madinamerica.com
-www.ncmhr.org
-www.hearing-voices.org
-www.madnessradio.net

I give the book two stars, because I don't think the authors had bad intentions, and their wishes to end stigma and see mental health along a spectrum did not go unnoticed by me. However, I think they end up contradicting their good intentions, and I think the problems in this book are actually rather dangerous.

[Kieran Bushey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little simplistic, but an excellent textbook nonetheless. I just wish the access codes for these books were not so horribly expensive! I pay for my own books and this code almost bankrupted me. There was a lot of walking to school and bumming rides off my classmates to save money on gas so I could pay the bills and eat that month.
I did like the textbook and I will be keeping it for reference and to let people borrow it.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good introduction to Abnormal Psychology.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful, full of insight so as to have a much clearer understanding of the psyche and the causes of many behavioral and psychological disorders.