Psychiatry: An evidence-based text PDF

Preface

Among the many demands on modern psychiatrists is keeping up to date with the ever-increasing pace of the development of psychiatric knowledge in recent years, both in the biological and psychosocial spheres. The basic sciences of psychology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neuroendocrinology, neuroimaging, neuropathology, genetics, biochemistry, pharmacology, neuroscience, epidemiology and social sciences have now led to a better understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying clinical disorders. Sub-specialties of psychiatry have rapidly developed and the practice of psychiatry has increasingly moved from institutions to the community. Clinicians are now under pressure to deliver high quality cost-effective patient-focused care based upon the best evidence available.

The aim of this volume is to provide an up-to-date, solid, evidence-based text. Many of our contributors are acknowledged international leaders in their respective fields, have often been centrally involved at the forefront of shaping psychiatric research and practice and have, as a result, a first-hand feel of the evidence base of their contributions. The strength of the evidence base does still vary widely in different fields of psychiatry, but with the development of national guidelines, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, individual, sometimes idiosyncratic, clinical practices of the past are now no longer acceptable unless based on evidence. Thus, even if not entirely evidence based, psychiatry should always be evidence informed. Psychiatrists who increasingly work in multidisciplinary teams and whose practice is now increasingly challenged by other professionals, managers and, indeed, patients, now have to be able to defend the evidence base to their practice, if they are to maintain their medical leadership role in psychiatric practice.

In this book, we aim to comprehensively describe the basic sciences and clinical disorders and their treatments – using the UK and Ireland MRCPsych syllabus as a guide – while emphasising the evidence underlying theory and practice for the topics covered. However, we believe that this book will cater not only for trainee psychiatrists studying for the MRCPsych examinations, but also for trainees elsewhere and, indeed, will provide a valuable resource for psychiatrists who have completed their training and other professionals who work in psychiatry.

To facilitate the aim of this project, the book is divided into major sections and 79 chapters in a carefully considered order. Chapters have been standardised and cross referenced and include important and up to date references and generous use of tables, figures, boxes and pictures. At the end of each chapter major learning points are identified. While the book strives to provide an integrated overview of current knowledge through its sections and chapters, ,chapters have also been designed to stand alone, which inevitably implies some overlap in content between chapters which we hope has been kept to an acceptable minimum.

We hope this book will achieve wide acceptance through its succinct, user-friendly approach and its recognition of the importance of a solid evidence base for psychiatric practice. While a text book alone does not make a good psychiatrist, we hope this one will provide the sound foundation of evidence-based theoretical knowledge required for the competent practising clinician of today.