Overview
Beyond Depression, written by a practicing GP, is a radical insiders' critique of prevailing views about the diagnosis and management of depression. It recommends alternative approaches based on enabling people in distress to generate a sense of purpose and meaning, with doctors concentrating on listending rather than prescribing. The book combines scientific analysis with extensive literary and philosophical sources and a series of sensitive case analyses.
Synopsis
Beyond Depression, written by a practicing GP, is a radical insiders' critique of prevailing views about the diagnosis and management of depression. It recommends alternative approaches based on enabling people in distress to generate a sense of purpose and meaning, with doctors concentrating on listending rather than prescribing. The book combines scientific analysis with extensive literary and philosophical sources and a series of sensitive case analyses.
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Marie A Dewitt, MD(Rush University Medical Center)
Description:This interesting book sets out to explore and challenge the current understanding of depression.
Purpose:The purpose is to describe the current concept of depression as a medical condition, challenge the foundations on which it is based, including lack of scientific evidence, and to offer an alternative way of conceptualizing depression as a psychosocial life event. The book attempts to serve an important role of constructively criticizing modern beliefs.
Audience:The targeted audience includes health professionals working in primary care and mental health, as well as their patients. The book could also be very useful in courses such as medical anthropology and medical sociology, where social and cultural constructs of illness and disease are discussed.
Features:The book is almost entirely text with a couple of figures and tables. There are frequent patient cases interlaced throughout the book. The numerous references are conveniently located at the end of each chapter/section. Approximately half of the references are within the last 10 years, leaving one to wonder about the accuracy of some of the arguments, given recent advances in the field of psychiatry.
Assessment:This book set out with very worthy objectives -- to challenge current, widely held beliefs involving depression. While it does force the reader to reexamine modern theory and, perhaps, illustrates how the diagnosis may be too loosely applied, the book at times draws inappropriate conclusions and lacks up-to-date scientific evidence concerning depression as a disease entity. The result leaves a desire for more solidly constructed arguments against current understandings of depression and for alternative understandings.
Editorials
From The Critics
Reviewer: Marie A Dewitt, MD(Rush University Medical Center)Description: This interesting book sets out to explore and challenge the current understanding of depression.
Purpose: The purpose is to describe the current concept of depression as a medical condition, challenge the foundations on which it is based, including lack of scientific evidence, and to offer an alternative way of conceptualizing depression as a psychosocial life event. The book attempts to serve an important role of constructively criticizing modern beliefs.
Audience: The targeted audience includes health professionals working in primary care and mental health, as well as their patients. The book could also be very useful in courses such as medical anthropology and medical sociology, where social and cultural constructs of illness and disease are discussed.
Features: The book is almost entirely text with a couple of figures and tables. There are frequent patient cases interlaced throughout the book. The numerous references are conveniently located at the end of each chapter/section. Approximately half of the references are within the last 10 years, leaving one to wonder about the accuracy of some of the arguments, given recent advances in the field of psychiatry.
Assessment: This book set out with very worthy objectives — to challenge current, widely held beliefs involving depression. While it does force the reader to reexamine modern theory and, perhaps, illustrates how the diagnosis may be too loosely applied, the book at times draws inappropriate conclusions and lacks up-to-date scientific evidence concerning depression as a disease entity. The result leaves a desire for more solidly constructed arguments against current understandings of depression and for alternative understandings.
3 Stars from Doody