A Vital Psychiatric Medication Guide for Mental Health Clinicians
Psychopharmacology - A Clinician’s Guide for the Effective use of Psychotropic Medications is an essential resource for the medical treatment of psychological disorders for the mental health professional. Chapter 1 provides information concerning basic neuron and medication functions, as well as pharmacokinetics and neurotransmitter transporter systems. Chapter 2 reviews the six major psychotropic neurotransmitter systems and the major neurotransmitters involved in psychological disorders. General prescribing suggestions, psychotropic medication side-effects and their management strategies are discussed in Chapter 3. Chapters 4 through 12 provide information for psychological disorders which include epidemiology, biological and psychological models, genetic and neuroanatomy of the psychological condition, diagnostic criteria and the specific psychological and pharmacologic treatment options for the psychiatric illness. Each medication includes dosing suggestions, half-life, steady-state, as well as titration and taper rates. Neurotransmitter profiles of the drugs are provided, as well as target symptoms treated by the medication. Drug metabolizing enzymes, metabolites, and the time required to achieve therapeutic action are described. Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders are presented in Chapter 4. Anxiety disorders are discussed in Chapter 5, while Chapter 6 is dedicated to posttraumatic stress disorder. Chapters 7 and 8 describes major depression and bipolar disorders, respectively. Alzheimer’s disease is covered in Chapter 9. Chapter 10 provides medication treatment suggestions for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity disorder, while Chapters 11 and 12 are devoted to sleep disorders and Addiction, respectively. The treatment of special populations (i.e., Children and the Elderly) is reviewed in Chapter 13. Finally, Chapter 14 provides a summary of the text book.
