Insight in Psychiatry - Hardcover

Marková, Ivana

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521825180 ISBN 13: 9780521825184

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2005

Synopsis

Questions concerning the nature of insight in patients with mental illness have interested clinicians for a long time. To what extent can patients understand disorders which affect their mental function? Does insight carry a prognostic value? Is impaired insight determined by the illness or are other factors important? Despite considerable research examining insight in patients with psychoses, non-psychotic disorders and chronic organic brain syndromes, results are inconclusive and insight remains a source of some mystification. Ivana S. Marková examines the problems involved in studying insight in patients with mental illness in order to provide a clearer understanding of the factors that determine its clinical manifestation. She puts forward a new model to illustrate the relationship between different components of insight in theoretical and clinical terms, and points to directions for future research.

About this title

Review:

'Dr Marková nicely shows how the differentiation between awareness and insight provides a means of understanding the way in which different clinical phenomena relating to insight are obtained and, furthermore, helps to identify some of the specific ways in which such phenomena may be different. ... this is a well-written and well-argued book that provides new insights into the ways in which it should be understood in order to capture more accurately its clinical significance. We highly recommend the book not only to those who are interested or involved in the topic but also to any practitioner in the field of mental health.' Psychological Medicine

'... this book succeeds in making the reader aware of the complex nature of insight, and the conceptual and methodological problems that are associated with trying to assess it, while providing a framework that aims to resolve the causes of the inconsistencies in empirical findings.' British Journal of Psychiatry

'As an academic exercise, this is clearly a remarkable book. It grapples courageously with a number of vexed questions, and would certainly help anyone who wants to do empirical research in the area.' Journal of Mental Health

Book Description:

Questions concerning the nature of insight in patients with mental illness have long interested clinicians. To what extent can patients understand their disorder? Can insight predict problems? Is impaired insight determined by the illness alone? This book examines the problems and presents a new model for understanding insight.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0521825180
• ISBN 13: 9780521825184
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 344