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Oxford handbook of psychiatry

Most medical students when dealt an unexpected question, will be familiar with that sinking feeling of uncertainty, when one’s memory doesn’t quite deliver as hoped. It seems that in spite of late hours of study, colourful flashcards and elaborate mnemonics, the recall isn’t always guaranteed. These moments can swoop in at any time and without warning so it’s best to be prepared. The Oxford handbook of psychiatry offers a lifeline. Whether venturing into psychiatry as a medical student, a junior doctor or a psychiatric trainee, this book certainly provides the ‘portable reassurance’ to which it aspires. Logical in layout, thorough, yet comprehensive, it strikes the right balance between breadth and depth. It is easy to use, affording quick access to relevant information, making it convenient and practical, as a handbook ought to be. The first half presents chapter-by-chapter the main neuroses and psychoses that might be expected in general adult practice. The structure here follows a consistent pattern: introduction with brief historical background, followed by signs, symptoms and relevant investigations leading towards diagnosis according to both ICD-10 and DSM-IV classification systems. Discussion of management follows with particularly helpful, detailed sections on pharmacology. In the second part, each of the main psychiatric subspecialities receives its own chapter, distilled down neatly to its essentials. The approach here, by necessity, is widecoverage with less detail, helpful for anyone seeking a basic overview of the specialised disciplines. As a book of reference, an educational accessory for the psychiatrist on-the-go, this handbook works excellently, however it has the potential to reach beyond this. The greatest challenge to the newcomer in psychiatry must lie in understanding a patient’s experience of mental illness, at a time when this experience is most difficult to convey. Readers of the Oxford handbook of psychiatry might therefore have gained from greater inclusion of short patient-experience extracts, artistic or literary pieces that might give moments of clarity and indeed inspiration to practitioners. The Oxford handbook series is notable for these short and sharp shocks which remind us of the human edge and certainly in psychiatry these are of particular importance. Overall, however, the handbook achieves its objectives admirably. In ward rounds and on night shifts it will be a great source of comfort. Neophytes will be very glad indeed of the dictionary of psychiatric symptoms (helpful in differentiating delusions) and most will International Journal of Culture and Mental Health Vol. 2, No. 2, 2009, 145 146