Abnormal Psychology

Focused, fresh and engaging, this book is designed to capture student interest and ease understanding through the extensive use of current and highly relevant clinical case studies. A more intensive teaching format, a student-centred writing style that humanizes the disorders, and an integrative approach to treatment using the biopsychosocial model are the foundations of this text's success. The new edition maintains these features while keeping pace with important developments in the field, including the diathesis stress model and biological causes of psychopathology - The Real Stories feature presents the stories of well-known figures whose lives have touched by psychological disorders. Ben Affleck speaks about alcoholism, Kelsey Grammar about the impact of childhood trauma on his life, and Anne Heche reflects on the experience of dissociative states. - Social Context boxes highlight the social and cultural influences on psychological disorders, integrating research, theory and applied perspectives. - This edition contains more explicit information about the features of each diagnosis.
Rather than using the technical jargon of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, the text paraphrases the language to make the information more understandable for the typical undergraduate.