C.C. Thomas

The international handbook of parental alienation syndrome; conceptual, clinical and legal considerations.

Parental alienation syndrome (PAS) refers to symptoms suffered by children who develop an irrational hatred for a parent as the result of divorce, often under "coaching" from the opposing parent or other caretaker in a custody suit. This handbook features clinical, legal, and research perspectives on PAS from 32 contributors representing eight countries, building on the work of the late Dr. Richard Gardner, a pioneer in child psychiatry who coined the term and developed the theory, practice, diagnosis, and treatment for PAS. Contributors detail key concepts, clinical considerations, and legal aspects, looking at issues such as the effects of PAS on parents and children, different categories of PAS, false allegations of abuse in PAS, the role of the criminal justice and medical systems, and current legislation. Eighty-four real-life cases are described. (Annotation ©2006 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Mental health systems compared; Great Britain, Norway, Canada, and the United States.

The countries selected for this comparison illustrate a continuum from a highly centralized and publicly financed, national health service in Great Britain to a predominantly decentralized and more privately financed market of mental health services in the US. Contributing experts from each country begin their chapters with an overview of the geographic, demographic, political, economic, and cultural contexts in which their mental health systems are situated. They then describe national mental health policies and programs designed to meet their population's needs, including details about service organization, delivery and financing. In the final section of each chapter, the authors provide recommendations for improved performance of their mental health system. The final chapters address convergence and divergence among the four systems and provide recommendations for improvement and for future comparative studies. (Annotation ©2006 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Neurogenic communication disorders; aphasia and cognitive-communication disorders.

Aimed at students and clinicians, this text explains the complex relationship between brain functions and communication. Drawing upon years of clinical and teaching experience, Drummond (affiliation not cited) applies this information to an examination of some of the possible causes and nature of neurogenic communication disorders and related clinical issues. Particular attention is paid to language and cognitive communication disorders that arise secondary to brain lesions. The author concludes by describing a variety of treatment approaches and interventions, including group therapy, surgery, pharmacological intervention, and assistive technology. (Annotation ©2006 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

A practitioner's guide to understanding indigenous and foreign cultures; an analysis of relationships between ethnicity, social class, and therapeutic intervention strategies, 3d ed.

Written to initiate a human relations dialogue in which the reader is encouraged to agree or disagree, this book offers an interdisciplinary approach to therapeutic intervention strategies across ethnicities and social classes. The conceptual framework introduced in early chapters shows how culture, personal beliefs, and individual behavior intersect. Later chapters give background on various ethnic groups, religion, cultural communication differences, and cultural differences related to work. Chapter cases and review questions are included. About one-third of the material for this third edition is new. As is all too common with many books on the topic, there is scant background on Anglo-American culture for helping professionals who are not Anglo-American. Author information is not given. (Annotation ©2006 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)