Linda Gask

‘If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel’s heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence.’ George Eliot, Middlemarch Having spent her life trying to patch up the souls of others, psychiatrist Linda Gask came to realise that being an expert in depression didn’t confer any immunity from it – she had to learn take care of herself, too. Artfully crafted and told with warmth and honesty, this is the story of Linda’s journey, interwoven with insights into her patients’ diverse experiences of depression - inextricably linked with problems in the past and the present such as vulnerability, fear, loss, loneliness, dependence and grief. She sets out to convey, in a new and original way, how it truly feels to experience this devastating illness, what psychotherapy is about, and the role of medication - and provides hope for those who suffer from depression and their loved ones whilst busting the stigma of mental illness.

A Psychiatrist's Memoir of Depression

The Other Side of Silence

David A. Baron

Bulent Coskun

In psychiatry, as in all of medicine, clinicians are frequently involved in training students and residents yet few have themselves been trained in pedagogy. Improving the quality of psychiatric education should both improve the quality of psychiatric care and make the profession more attractive to medical students. Written by a team of international experts with many years of experience, this comprehensive text takes a globally relevant perspective on providing practical instruction and advice on all aspects of teaching psychiatry. It covers learning from undergraduate and postgraduate level to primary medical and community settings, enabling readers to find solutions to the problems they are facing and become aware of potential issues which they can anticipate and be prepared to address. The book discusses curriculum development using examples from around the world, in order to provide trainees with the basic attitudes, knowledge and skills they require to practise psychiatry. Features: Instruction on developing a curriculum for Residency training, teaching interviewing skills, teaching psychotherapy and using new technology Innovative ways of engaging medical students in psychiatry and developing their interest in the specialty, including experience with new types of elective and research options and development of roles for students in patient care Focuses throughout on how to teach rather than what to teach Includes descriptions of workplace-based assessments Discussions of both theoretical and practical perspectives and examples of particular innovations in the field using case studies Presented in a thoroughly readable and accessible manner, this book is a primary resource for all clinicians involved in teaching psychiatry to medical students and trainees.

Putting Theory into Practice

Teaching Psychiatry

Carolyn Chew-Graham

ABC of Anxiety and Depression is a practical guide to the assessment, treatment and management of patients with anxiety and depression as they commonly present in primary care. It begins with an introduction to views on the understanding of anxiety and depression. The following chapters cover how anxiety and depression present in different patient groups such as children and young people, adults, older people and during antenatal/postnatal periods. It then addresses anxiety and depression as comorbidities with chronic illness, and within special populations and settings. The options for treatment and management of anxiety and depression are considered with guidance on when referral to secondary care may be appropriate and the current best practice in psychological therapies, drug treatment and social interventions. Cases are used to illustrate the complexities of managing patients with anxiety and depression. The title concludes with an important chapter on practitioner well-being. ABC of Anxiety and Depression is a practical resource all general practitioners and family physicians working with patients with anxiety and depressive disorders. It is also relevant for primary health care professionals who are part of clinical teams treating patients with anxiety and depression, and conditions where anxiety and depression are common comorbidities, as well as psychologists, counsellors, social workers, and medical and nursing students.

ABC of Anxiety and Depression

A Short Introduction to Psychiatry is designed to give readers a clear picture of the profession of psychiatry as it is today as well as an understanding of the subject from which to develop further study. The author describes the development of the profession, the route to qualification and the scope of contemporary practice, including the work done by psychiatrists in a range of specialisms - from child psychiatry to addiction services and forensic psychiatry. Drawing on the experience of people who have been through psychiatric treatment, the book also explores what psychiatry is like from the patient's/user's perspective. Many criticisms have been levelled against the profession and the author, Linda Gask, summarizes key debates which have been and continue to be played out between psychiatry's critics and its defenders. A Short Introduction to Psychiatry is for anyone looking into psychiatry for the first time, whether with a view to training or out of more general interest.

A Short Introduction to Psychiatry

Tony Kendrick

Robert Peveler

Carolyn A. Chew-Graham

A comprehensive guide to this emerging field, fully updated to cover clinical, policy, and practical issues with a user-centred approach.

Primary Care Mental Health

Beneath the wide skies of Orkney Linda Gask recalls her career as a consultant psychiatrist and her lifelong struggle with her own mental health. After the favelas of Brazil, the glittering cities of the Middle East, and the forests of Haida Gwaii, will she find perspective, spiritual relief, and healing in her new home? Her troubled past is never far away.

The Healing Power of Place

Finding True North

Around ninety per cent of all patients with mental health problems are managed solely in primary care, including thirty-fifty per cent of all those with serious mental illness. Primary care plays an increasingly essential role in developing and delivering mental health services, and in the wellbeing of communities. In this book, internationally respected authors provide both a conceptual background and practical advice for primary care clinicians and specialist mental health professionals liaising with primary care. Clinical, policy and professional issues, such as working effectively at the interface between services, are addressed - with a key focus on patient and service user experience. Following the highly successful first edition, which was awarded first prize at the BMA Medical Book Awards in the category of Primary Health Care, this fully updated volume includes new chapters on mental health and long-term physical conditions, prison populations, improving access to care and public mental health.

Linda Gask

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