Psychiatric Diagnosis

The authors of this book have for a long time been important members of an Arthurian Round Table from which many research forays into the field of psychiatry have emanated. The Holy Grail in this case is a scientific psychiatry. Though many members of this department involved themselves in biological research, the orientation was neither organic nor psychological; rather, it is best defined as data oriented. The emphasis was on the gleaning of valid evidence that could be related to precise psychiatric diagnosis. The goal was the elucidation of specific and relatively homogeneous disease entities.

This book, then, is an effort to describe various aspects of psychiatric illnesses in a data-bound fashion. Unlike the American Psychiatric Association Manual, which is based on best clinical judgment and experience, the present volume documents its statements with reference to clinical research. Thus, few statements in the book are made that cannot be supported