Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Synopsis
Comprehensive clinically oriented review of delusional disorder, including case histories and treatment guidelines.
Royce Lee
This book is focused on the fascinating but often forgotten illness, delusional disorder. The author discusses the paraphrenias, cycloid psychoses, paranoid schizophrenia, and schizotypal and schizoid personality disorders. Special attention is given to the tentative conclusion that Pimozide is the most effective agent for treatment. The purpose is to present history, modern views, and recent research of delusional disorder, along with a summary of treatment recommendations. While this book is clearly intended for psychiatrists, the elegant yet lucid prose and handsome binding come somewhat as a surprise. The author's easy presentation can be deceptive. While there are no charts, graphs, or diagrams, and there is a definite de-emphasis on epidemiological data, quite a bit of clinical information is given in the way of anecdotes, case presentations, and reviews of the literature on relevant topics. These are well annotated; the reference lists themselves are invaluable for those interested in doing more in depth reading. Munro's method would best be compared to Kraeplin. He is most concerned with phenomenology, history, and outcome. There is very little speculation about causation, either psychological or biological. Those readers intent on finding a comprehensive review of the literature on this topic will be disappointed. However, those willing to put trust in the author's extensive clinical experience with this disorder, as well his logical, concise summaries of the limited but interesting research, will find this an interesting book on an elusive disorder.