These days, prescription drugs are often considered a first course of treatment for psychological disorders. Like any other modern pharmaceuticals, psychopharmacological drugs are complex, powerful, and highly interactive with other chemical and natural medications. Mental health and medical professionals absolutely must have a thorough knowledge of how these medicines are used and how they work in the human body. People who take these drugs or love others who do will benefit greatly from having a thorough understanding of the application and function of psychologically effective prescription drugs. This book has proven its indispensability through three editions and remains, in this fourth major update, the single most respected and widely used book on the subject available.

Everyone who needs the most accurate and comprehensive information about psychopharmacological medicines must have this book on his or her shelf. It covers every significant medical aspect of the use of these drugs, including indications based on diagnosis, physiological functions, side effects, and criteria for evaluating client response and recommending further treatment or reevaluation. This revised and expanded edition includes a new chapter devoted to children and psychopharmaceuticals. Sections on bipolar disorder, major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder have been revised to include major developments in current research. Six new drugs have been fully reviewed and added to the book's charts and tables.