10 Psychiatry books for physicians, psychologists and therapists.

Essential manuals and texts to be an excellent psychiatrist.

Devouring a great book is, without a doubt, an experience that can mark us for the rest of our lives, because there are texts that provide us with great knowledge as well as entertainment.There are texts that provide us with a great deal of knowledge as well as entertainment.

Evidently there are works that contain more commercial value than anything else, but there are volumes that enrich our experience as human beings and influence thousands of people because of their incalculable usefulness.

The best psychiatry and mental health books

Aware of this, we have taken the time to compile a list of the best psychiatry books for mental health professionals. for mental health professionals. If you are a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist you can enjoy these texts and, at the same time, learn about your profession. Don't miss them!

1. Personality Disorders in Modern Life (Theodore Milton and Roger Davis)

A fascinating text that was published in 2001. "Personality Disorders in Modern Life" is a very well written book that deals with personality disorders from a current perspective. It covers different psychopathologies such as, for example, antisocial disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), histrionic personality disorder, narcissism, schizoid disorder or paranoid disorder.

The author deals with mental problems from different perspectives: biological, interpersonal or cognitive, among others.

• You can buy the book here.

2. Practical Manual of Forensic Psychiatry (J. Checa González)

This work is a reference manual for both forensic medicine and psychiatry professionals.. It is a quick guide for consultation and information on any subject related to this discipline, and, as a complement, this book offers access to an online platform where it is possible to find 15 clinical cases, in addition to a battery with about 100 self-assessment questions and various models of reports and forensic medical records.

The web page that this book offers is an interactive space for discussion and exchange of knowledge among all the readers of the book that ensures the updating of the contents in forensic psychiatry material.

• You can purchase it through this link.

3. Anatomy of an Epidemic (Robert Whitaker)

"Anatomy of an Epidemic" is a very interesting book. The author asks himself. Why has the number of mentally ill people in the United States tripled in the last two decades? At times, Whitaker appears as an anti-psychiatrist, criticizing some practices that are carried out in this discipline. To be a good professional in this field, it is necessary to read and understand the controversy that may exist around psychiatry.

For example, if the use of psychotropic drugs is excessive or not, do you dare to delve into these pages and reflect deeply?

• More information and purchase option at this link.

4. The Trouble Psychiatry (Daniel Carlat)

The book "Unhinged: The Trouble Psychiatry" by Daniel Carlat addresses several controversial topics in the field of psychiatry.. For example, the use of the DSM, overdependence on psychotropic drugs, and how the power of the pharmaceutical industry influences the use of psychoactive substances in psychiatric practice.

It is a short but fascinating book, because it brings to light the various issues that have generated debate in recent years and, in addition, offers creative solutions to these problems. It is only available in English.

• All the information here.

5. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V)

The DSM is also known as the "bible of psychiatry".and is the most widely accepted classification tool for mental disorders, both for clinical diagnosis and for research and teaching in this field. It is used in the clinical and psychiatric setting, but this guide must be accompanied by clinical judgment in addition to the professional knowledge and ethical criteria necessary for good professional practice.

In short, the DSM provides a common language among the various mental health professionals (psychiatrists and clinical psychologists) involved in the treatment of mental disorders and helps ensure accurate and consistent diagnosis.

• You can easily purchase it at this link.

6. The Psychiatric Interview in Clinical Practice (Roger Mackinnon)

The clinical interview in psychiatry is a qualitative information-gathering technique involving the therapist or psychiatrist and his or her patient (if applicable, also family members), and is the main instrument in psychiatric practice.The clinical interview in psychiatry is essential for the establishment of an appropriate interpersonal relationship, which will favor the obtaining of reliable information and will allow the establishment of a correct diagnosis.

• Recommended article: "The different types of interview and their characteristics".

Likewise, psychotherapeutic intervention is carried out within the framework of the clinical interview, whether offering psychological or psychopharmacological therapy. The manual "The clinical interview" by Ekkehard and Sieglinde Othmer is, without a doubt, a great text that will provide you with knowledge about this practice and will facilitate your learning with good examples exposed in a clear and detailed way.

• You can buy it here.

7. Are we all mentally ill? (Allen Frances)

The author of this book, Allen Frances, was one of the developers of the latest editions of the DSM manual. In his work, he reviews the history of the DSM (and his participation in its development) and critically analyzes some aspects of DSM-V. He discusses the criteria for deciding what is normal and what is pathological and reviews some disorders that have been in vogue in the past (e.g., borderline (e.g., borderline personality disorder), as well as giving his opinion on the different psychopathological approaches of the present such as autism spectrum disorder.

It is an interesting text written in a pleasant language. Especially designed for those who want a first contact with the world of psychiatry.

• Buy it here.

8. Treat the mind or treat the brain? Towards an integration between psychotherapies and psychopharmaceuticals (Julio Sanjuán)

If what you are looking for is an introductory book about psychiatryDo not miss "Treat the mind or treat the brain? Towards an integration between psychotherapies and psychotropic drugs". Written in a pleasant but rigorous and updated way, it is a text of 350 pages of agile reading. Therefore, if you are interested in this discipline, you should add it to your must-have list.

• Are you more interested in getting into psychology than psychiatry? Then I recommend the book "Psychologically Speaking". You can buy it at this link.

• Buy Julio Sanjuán's work at this link.

9. Atypical or transient psychoses from epistemology to treatment (Luis Jesús Fernández, Germán Berrios and Blanca Yániz)

Psychotic disorders are serious mental pathologies in which the person loses in which the person loses contact with reality. The most characteristic symptoms are hallucinations and delusions. Its treatment combines psychotherapy with the administration of antipsychotic drugs.

This text collects the results of the first edition of the course on atypical or transient psychosis that took place at the UNED, and provides valuable knowledge for psychiatry and mental health professionals.

• You can purchase it here.

10. Memory Disorders in Psychiatric Practice (German E. Barrios and John R. Hodges)

A suggestive text and reference in clinical practice related to memory disorders. In the first chapters the book reviews the historical and neurobiological foundations of memory and, in general, provides an interesting contribution for both psychiatry and neuropsychology professionals.

• Recommended text: "Types of memory: how does the human brain store memories?"

Although for many people the problem of memory is the exclusive competence of neuropsychologists, this text is a psychiatric approach to different pathologies associated with memory. It is sure to surprise you!