Textbook of Integrative Mental Health Care Book

Textbook of Integrative Mental Health Care presents a comprehensive framework of conceptual information and clinical guidelines for the integrative assessment and treatment of common mental illnesses. Extensive evidence tables and easy-to-follow algorithms guide the practitioner step-by-step from initial assessment to treatment planning.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Christopher J. Graver, PhD(Madigan Army Medical Center)
Description:In the 1990s, a survey of healthcare practices indicated that over half of the nation's adult population used alternative medicine practices. This growing trend has changed the face of healthcare and made healthcare providers take notice. This book provides an introduction to alternative treatments for mental illness and their relationship with traditional Western treatments.
Purpose:The purpose is to alert healthcare professionals to the myriad other options available to consumers for mental health treatment. It presents theoretical backgrounds, relevant literature, and suggestions for integrating traditional and alternative medicine approaches in Western culture.
Audience:Although primarily targeted at medical providers and residents, nonetheless, the book would be appropriate for other healthcare providers, but assumes some knowledge of biological and pharmacological treatments and concepts. The author has been a student and practitioner of complementary treatment methods for many years. He also has published and presented his scientific work in books, articles, and conferences.
Features:The book is very well organized and makes the information easy to access. In addition to the table of contents, each chapter begins with a listing of subtopics. The subtopics are clearly labeled and bullets, as well as bold text, make it easy to find the major points of a chapter. Tables summarize pertinent information and, which is especially helpful when presenting comparisons of traditional and complementary approaches. In the latter chapters, the author addresses alternative treatments for specific diseases and disorders, including mood disorders, anxiety, psychosis, dementia, and substance abuse. The references are current and the index is excellent. The only major criticism is that the author's coverage of some topic areas is rather cursory and includes incorrect or partial information that can be misleading. A more critical scientific review is needed in these cases before readers can make informed decisions about the use of alternative diagnostic and treatment approaches.
Assessment:In general, this book provides a broad introduction to integrative mental health care. It is well organized with readily accessible information. The author also provides a refreshingly personalized perspective on healthcare. An abundance of useful information is available to practitioners, as long as they do not expect a thorough literature review, but rather an introductory text to stimulate interest and more critical evaluations of new approaches to mental healthcare.