Understanding Bipolar Disorder

Finally! For the first time, this important book has placed bipolar disorder in a lifespan developmental context--something the field has sorely needed. Understanding Bipolar Disorder is a major contribution. Miklowitz and Cicchetti have produced an indispensable and comprehensive guide to the developmental aspects of the disorder, integrating cutting-edge neuroscience, clinical research, epidemiology, and therapeutics. They have assembled leaders in the field to produce a scholarly, accessible work that will be essential reading for clinicians, researchers, and trainees for years to come.--Jordan W. Smoller, MD, ScD, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital

This volume approaches bipolar disorder from many different angles, all through the lens of developmental psychopathology. It gives the reader a unique perspective on emerging data on the genetics and neurobiology of the disorder, its etiology, and psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments. Miklowitz and Cicchetti have provided an important resource for psychology and psychiatry trainees as well as more experienced clinicians who are confronting this very real public health issue.--Kiki D. Chang, MD, Director, Pediatric Bipolar Disorders Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital This book is a 'must' for anyone interested in a developmental perspective on bipolar disorder across the lifespan. It is likely to become the standard reference in the area. Miklowitz and Cicchetti have chosen their contributors well, producing a volume of great value and one that fills an important void in the literature.--Ellen Frank, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Psychology, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine A tour de force. This book masterfully brings together all that is known about the biological, social, and psychological factors that contribute to bipolar disorder and that underlie treatment. In chapter after chapter, internationally acclaimed authors present their areas of expertise with extraordinary breadth and depth, and with great compassion for people with the disorder. Will surely be required reading for researchers, clinicians, and students.--Mark Williams, PhD, Wellcome Principal Research Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, United Kingdom - A detailed and information-packed volume that provides up-to-date knowledge about varieties of bipolar disorder (BD) and the difficulties and frustrations in diagnosis and treatment. The contributors are experts in the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of bipolar disorders, and each chapter addresses issues in BD such as genetics, neurological changes, age-of-onset differences, pharmacological choices, and treatments, as well as a brief summary of findings....This volume can best be used as a reference text and resource for clinicians seeking a more nuanced understanding of what families are coping with while caring for a BD family member; what BD patients are feeling and how their behaviors affect family functioning; and how families support or inhibit a patient's ability to control emotions and difficult or life-threatening behaviors. Clinicians themselves may experience frustration working with youths with BD because cycles and relapses are so prevalent. The information in this volume can provide them with more tools as well as increase their sense of empathy for families facing the daily stresses of coping with a family member with BD and can provide more tools. --PsycCRITIQUES, 5/6/2010ƒƒ This work is useful and progressive, incorporating views and perspectives from leading experts. It is an excellent source of references that summarize recent advances in early intervention and treatment, in addition to contextualizing issues from a historical perspective....This book is recommended to any researcher, clinician, or student who wishes to gain a better understanding of the developmental processes of bipolar disorder. --Child and Adolescent Mental Health Journal, 5/6/2010ƒƒ This scholarly work is a tour de force of bipolar disorder across the life-span. Each chapter is a solid review of the literature on different core aspects of the disease from a developmental perspective. The use of language is precise and cogent, while the narrative in this book is compelling. The discussions are thoughtful, conscious of the limitations of current academic knowledge, and future-oriented towards what needs to be unearthed next....One of this work's greatest achievements is that it is comprehensive without losing its depth. This is a significant book for any mental health professional interested in the matters of nature versus nurture across the life span. --Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 5/3/2012