Synopsis

Mental health professionals will find this book to be timely and necessary - for their patients, but also for the families and communities who rely on their professional judgment in assessing and managing potentially violent individuals. The editors lend the breadth and depth of their experience to this volume.

Reviewer: Steven T. Herron, MD(University of Arizona Health Sciences Center)
Description: Compiled to condense much of the known information on the assessment and management of violent individuals with mental health issues, this book addresses structured evaluation through the clinical treatment of this population.
Purpose: Because violence has "roots and causes (that) are many and complex," this book's focus is the education of mental health providers, combining "evidence-based medicine with expert opinion."
Audience: Provided as a resource for those treating, assessing, and working with people who have psychiatric disorders combined with a history of violence, the book is meant to be a tool for clinicians on the front line evaluating and treating these individuals.
Features: Divided into seven sections, from assessment principles to special topics in the field, this book addresses both general and detailed aspects of evaluating and treating mentally ill and violent individuals. Chapters suggesting management techniques for various clinical settings, as well as those specifically mentioning pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions are quite useful, and numerous case examples highlight salient features. Each chapter concludes with a section titled "Key Points" and an extensive list of current references.
Assessment: Dr. Simon and his colleagues continue to produce clinically useful, brief books, and this one is no exception. The list of contributing authors is impressive, and their combined experience represents many years and, undoubtedly, thousands of encounters with patients and evaluations. What the book lacks stylistically, it more than makes up for in valuable information. The chapters addressing workplace violence and school violence offer readers a condensed version of the literature regarding these problems, which are sadly becoming increasingly common for forensic and general psychiatrists. This is a worthy contribution to the field.

Biography

Robert I. Simon, M.D., is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Program in Psychiatry and Law, at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. He has been a practicing psychiatrist and forensic psychiatrist for over 40 years. Dr. Simon has authored or edited 25 other books for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals on topics in psychiatry and the law. He has also published numerous papers on civil and criminal matters, including a study of 33 murderers.

Kenneth Tardiff, M.D., M.P.H., is Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and Attending Psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, New York.