Psychology & Psychiatry : Mental Illness

The Imprinted Brain sets out a radical new theory of the mind and mental illness based on the recent discovery of genomic imprinting. Imprinted genes are those from one parent that, in that parent's interest, are expressed in an offspring rather than the diametrically opposed genes from the other parent. For example, a higher birth weight may represent the dominance of the father's genes in leading to a healthy child, whereas a lower birth weight is beneficial to the mother's immediate wellbeing, and the imprint of the mother's genes will result in a smaller baby. According to this view, a win for the father's genes may result in autism, whereas one for the mother's may result in psychosis. A state of equilibrium - normality - is the most likely outcome, with a no-win situation of balanced expression. Imprinted genes typically produce symptoms that are opposites of each other, and the author uses psychiatric case material to show how many of the symptoms of psychosis can be shown to be the mental mirror-images of those of autism. Combining psychiatry with insights from modern genetics and cognitive science, Christopher Badcock explains the fascinating imprinted brain theory to the reader in a thorough but accessible way. This new theory casts some intriguing new light on other topics as diverse as the nature of genius, the appeal of detective fiction, and the successes - and failures - of psychoanalysis. This thought-provoking book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in autism, psychiatry, cognitive science or psychology in general. The Imprinted Brain is a true tour de force, surveying the cutting-edge research in genomics and neuroscience and providing a fresh view on what it means to be male or female, "things people" or "people people," autistic or schizophrenic. You will never look at your parents the same way again!". - Satoshi Kanazawa, The Scientific Fundamentalist and co-author of Why Beautiful People more...

Price: $22.95

This book examines how to achieve improved outcomes for infants growing up in situations of risk due to parents’ mental health and other related psychosocial circumstances that may impair parental functioning. These include migration, substance abuse, and infant hospitalisation. The authors examine the effects of adverse life circumstances on infant and family and, in most cases, also describe assessments and interventions. Several chapters have been written by people personally affected by mental illness, or mental illness of a family member. more...

Price: $26.95

An easy to read, jargon-free introduction to mental health, this practical guide is written for qualified and non-qualified practitioners. The authors explain key concepts in easily understandable language, accessible even to those with no prior knowledge of the subject. They detail the major mental health disorders and the issues and implications surrounding them, and include separate chapters on personality disorder and self-harm. They provide in-depth practical information on: the Mental Health Act; diagnosis and medication; risk assessment and management; violent and challenging behaviour; communication between agencies. This guide is full of useful information, practical suggestions, and strategies for anyone working with people who are experiencing mental illness. It will prove invaluable to housing workers, support workers, probation officers, prison health care officers, student nurses and anyone coming in to contact with mental health issues. more...

Price: $39.95

What precipitates mental breakdown? How do people experience such extremes – and how do they see others’ interpretations and interventions? Most important, how do people recover from these episodes and get their lives back? These are some of the questions addressed in this anthology of first-hand accounts of mental breakdown and recovery. Eleven very different stories together shed light on what triggers mental breakdown, what it is like to be ‘mad’, whether treatment helps and how people reclaim themselves and their lives. Based on tape-recorded interviews with people who have been through a mental breakdown and come out the other side of it, The Madness of Our Lives breaks the silence around mental distress and offers hope and optimism to mental health service users and their carers. more...

Price: $29.95

What causes psychiatric disorders to appear? Are they primarily the result of people’s environments, or of their genes? Increasingly, we are told that research has confirmed the importance of genetic influences on schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disord more...

Price: $34.95