Psychiatry: A Very Short Introduction

Tom Burns

Sep 2006 · OUP Oxford

About this ebook

Psychiatry is now a highly visible activity - care in the community, compulsion, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse mean that few people are not touched by it. Indeed one in four of us will consult a psychiatrist in our life time. This book explains what psychiatry is, and what it is not. It starts with the identification of the major mental illnesses and why they are no longer considered just variations of 'normality'. It charts the rise of the Asylum and its demise with the developments of Care in the Community, and the flourishing of psychoanalysis and its later transformation into more accessible psychotherapies. More than any other branch of medicine psychiatry has been attacked and criticised. There is a long catalogue of abuses - from mundane neglect and bizarre treatments through to political abuse by totalitarian regimes. Modern psychiatry too brings with it new controversies such as the medicalization of normal life, the power of the drug companies and the use of psychiatry as an agent of social control. The book does not shy away from outlining these issues but provides the reader with a clear understanding of what psychiatry is capable of, and what it is not capable of, so that they can draw their own conclusions. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Ratings and reviews

Concise yet comprehensive. Good overview of the subject not only for the general public but also for medical students and even junior psychiatric housestaff.

About the author

Tom Burns is Professor of Social Psychiatry at the University of Oxford and a practicing consultant psychiatrist in the NHS. His research has centred on community care of severely ill psychotic patients and, in addition to over a hundred and fifty scientific articles, he has written books on Assertive Outreach and Community Mental Health Teams.