Positive Psychiatry: A Casebook

Positive psychiatry is a new field, but one with a growing empirical database
and a developing literature. Still, for all positive psychiatry's potential to
improve outcomes and transform care systems, many clinicians remain unsure as to
how to apply these interventions with their patients.

It is this
uncertainty that makes Positive Psychiatry: A Casebook such an indispensable
resource. This guide illustrates how clinicians have successfully combined
traditional psychiatry approaches and positive interventions, how positive
interventions can enhance the quality of medical care, and how these
interventions are employed in educational and coaching settings.

The book
opens with an overview of the history of the positive in psychiatry, a summary
of the effectiveness of positive interventions, and an overarching
conceptualization of the field of positive psychiatry.

Thirteen extensive,
detailed cases follow, organized into three sections: mental health treatment
(e.g., schizophrenia and bipolar disorder), medical care (e.g., diabetes and
chronic stress in caregivers), and educational and coaching interventions (e.g.,
medical internships and law school).

The clinical cases include a summary,
a description of the patient that takes into account his or her strengths and
weaknesses, a detailed discussion of the intervention(s), and the outcome of
treatment. The examples from the third section on education and coaching provide
a unique opportunity to assess the effectiveness of positive interventions in
nonclinical settings. All chapters feature "take home points" that summarize the
salient concepts and allow for ease of reference.

Featuring a wide array
of settings unmatched by any other compendium of psychiatric or positive case
material, Positive Psychiatry: A Casebook is a must-have reference for any
clinician seeking to apply positive interventions to their practice.