The European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) is a scientific and educational association which represents a variety of disciplines. The first ECNP congress took place in Copenhagen, May 1985, where a working group of European scientists within the field of psychopharmacology was elected to prepare a constituent ECNP congress in Brussels, 1987. Among the most active members of this group was Max Hamilton. At the second ECNP congress in Brussels Max Hamilton was elected as the first honorary member of the ECNP. When we received the message of his death we decided at once to arrange a Max Hamilton memorial symposium at the third ECNP congress, May 1989, in Gothenburg, Sweden. This monograph contains the proceedings of the Max Hamilton symposium which was chaired by the editors. The opening lecture of the third ECNP congress was a Max Hamilton lecture: "A life devoted to science in psychiatry" which was presented by Sir Martin Roth. It seemed obvious to include Sir Martin's lecture as the opening article of this monograph. Although G .E. Berrios was unable to participate in the ECNP congress we have found it logical to include his manuscript on "The Hamilton Depression Scale and the Numerical Description of the Symptoms of Depression" as another personal contribution to Max Hamilton and his rating scales.
There are at least four reasons why a sleep clinician should be familiar with rating scales that evaluate different facets of sleep. First, the use of scales facilitates a quick and accurate assessment of a complex clinical problem. In three or four minutes (the time to review ten standard scales), a clinician can come to a broad understanding of the patient in question. For example, a selection of scales might indicate that an individual is sleepy but not fatigued; lacking alertness with no insomnia; presenting with no symptoms of narcolepsy or restless legs but showing clear features of apnea; exhibiting depression and a history of significant alcohol problems. This information can be used to direct the consultation to those issues perceived as most relevant, and can even provide a springboard for explaining the benefits of certain treatment approaches or the potential corollaries of allowing the status quo to continue. Second, rating scales can provide a clinician with an enhanced vocabulary or language, improving his or her understanding of each patient. In the case of the sleep specialist, a scale can help him to distinguish fatigue from sleepiness in a patient, or elucidate the differences between sleepiness and alertness (which is not merely the inverse of the former). Sleep scales are developed by researchers and clinicians who have spent years in their field, carefully honing their preferred methods for assessing certain brain states or characteristic features of a condition. Thus, scales provide clinicians with a repertoire of questions, allowing them to draw upon the extensive experience of their colleagues when attempting to tease apart nuanced problems. Third, some scales are helpful for tracking a patient’s progress. A particular patient may not remember how alert he felt on a series of different stimulant medications. Scale assessments administered periodically over the course of treatment provide an objective record of the intervention, allowing the clinician to examine and possibly reassess her approach to the patient. Finally, for individuals conducting a double-blind crossover trial or a straightforward clinical practice audit, those who are interested in research will find that their own clinics become a source of great discovery. Scales provide standardized measures that allow colleagues across cities and countries to coordinate their practices. They enable the replication of previous studies and facilitate the organization and dissemination of new research in a way that is accessible and rapid. As the emphasis placed on evidence-based care grows, a clinician’s ability to assess his or her own practice and its relation to the wider medical community becomes invaluable. Scales make this kind of standardization possible, just as they enable the research efforts that help to formulate those standards. The majority of Rating Scales in Sleep and Sleep Disorders:100 Scales for Clinical Practice is devoted to briefly discussing individual scales. When possible, an example of the scale is provided so that readers may gain a sense of the instrument’s content. Groundbreaking and the first of its kind to conceptualize and organize the essential scales used in sleep medicine, Rating Scales in Sleep and Sleep Disorders:100 Scales for Clinical Practice is an invaluable resource for all clinicians and researchers interested in sleep disorders.
Clinical Psychometrics is an introduction to the long-term attempt to measure the psychiatric dimension of dementia, schizophrenia, mania, depression, anxiety, neuroticism, extraversion/introversion and health-related quality of life. The two psychometric procedures, classical factor analysis and modern item-response models, are presented for readers without any requirement for particular mathematical or statistical knowledge. The book is unique in this attempt and provides helpful background information for the dimensional approach that is being used in the forthcoming updates to the diagnostic classification systems, ICD-11 and DSM-5. The book is written for everyone who is interested in the origins and development of modern psychiatry, and who wants to be familiar with its practical possibilities; how it is possible to compare different individuals with each other, how one may determine the boundary between what is normal and what is disease, or how one may assess the clinical effect of the various forms of treatment, available to present day psychiatry.
Psychiatric clinicians should use rating scales and questionnaires often, for they not only facilitate targeted diagnoses and treatment; they also facilitate links to empirical literature and systematize the entire process of management. Clinically oriented and highly practical, the Handbook of Clinical Rating Scales and Assessment in Psychiatry and Mental Health is an ideal tool for the busy psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, family physician, or social worker. In this ground-breaking text, leading researchers provide reviews of the most commonly used outcome and screening measures for the major psychiatric diagnoses and treatment scenarios. The full range of psychiatric disorders are covered in brief but thorough chapters, each of which provides a concise review of measurement issues related to the relevant condition, along with recommendations on which dimensions to measure – and when. The Handbook also includes ready-to-photocopy versions of the most popular, valid, and reliable scales and checklists, along with scoring keys and links to websites containing on-line versions. Moreover, the Handbook describes well known, structured, diagnostic interviews and the specialized training requirements for each. It also includes details of popular psychological tests (such as neuropsychological, personality, and projective tests), along with practical guidelines on when to request psychological testing, how to discuss the case with the assessment consultant and how to integrate information from the final testing report into treatment. Focused and immensely useful, the Handbook of Clinical Rating Scales and Assessment in Psychiatry and Mental Health is an invaluable resource for all clinicians who care for patients with psychiatric disorders.
This volume addresses the assessment of the most commonly encountered disorders or conditions among children, adolescents, adults, older adults, and couples. Strategies and instruments for assessing mood disorders, anxiety and related disorders, couple distress and sexual problems, health-related problems, and many other conditions are reviewed by leading experts.
The Neuroscience of Depression: Features, Diagnosis and Treatment, is a comprehensive reference to the diagnosis and treatment of depression. This book provides readers with the mechanisms of depression reflecting on the interplay between depression and the biological and psychosocial processes. A detailed introduction to various episodes of depression, from PTSD to post-partum depression is provided, followed by a thorough discussion on biomarkers in depression and how to diagnose depression including the Hamilton Depression Rating scale. This book also includes three full sections on treatment options for depression, including pharmacological, behavioral and other novel regimes. The Neuroscience of Depression: Features, Diagnosis and Treatment is the only resource for researchers and practitioners studying, diagnosis and treating of depression. - Covers a pharmacological and behavioral treatment options - Features sections on diagnosis and biomarkers of depression - Discusses depression in children, teens and adults - Contains information on comorbidity of physical and mental conditions - Includes more than 250 illustrations and tables
This concise guide provides psychiatrists (including trainees) and general practitioners with a comprehensive overview of the most clinically relevant assessment scales and tools in order to assist with and enhance diagnostic outcomes in depression. Depression is one of the most common mood disorders across the globe, with a lifetime prevalence across all people of 8-10%. Despite being relatively common, depression remains severely underdiagnosed across all age groups and nationalities.
