Large general reference books

On the bookshelf of every psychiatrist there should be one large reference book, to read when you need a comprehensive and authoritative review of a subject area. All the books below are major pieces of work.

	Companion to Psychiatric Studies
	7th edition 2004
	Johnstone, Lawrie, Owens, Sharpe, Freeman | Publisher: Churchill Livingstone
	New edition of an established and authoritative textbook aimed at trainee psychiatrists sitting the MRCPsych. Contents: A brief introduction to the history of psychiatry. Functional neuroanatomy. Neuropharmacology. Neuropathology. Neuroimaging. Fundamentals of psychology. Sociology, social influences, psychiatry and mental health. Neuropsychology. Genetics in relation to psychiatry. Epidemiology and research methods. Research measurement and statistics. Evidence-based medicine and psychiatry. Clinical assessment: interviewing and examination. Diagnosis and classification. Clinical psychopharmacology. Psychological therapies. Organic disorders. Misuse of, and dependence on, alcohol and other drugs. Schizophrenia and related disorders. Mood disorder. Neurotic, stress related and somatoform disorders. Eating disorders. Personality disorders. Learning disability. Psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence. Old age psychiatry. Suicide and deliberate self harm. Psychiatry in relation to other areas of medicine. The relationship between crime and psychiatry. Legal and ethical aspects of psychiatry. Perinatal psychiatry. Sexual disorders. Disorders of sleep and wakefulness. Appendix 1: Mental health legislation and definitions. Appendix 2: A lexicon of eponyms in psychiatry.
	Verdict: Comprehensive and authoritative. Excellent reference material. Surprisingly easy to read.

	New Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry
	1st edition (paperback) 2003
	Gelder, Lopez-Ibor, Andreasen | Publisher: Oxford University Press
	The New Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry is the definitive source for all psychiatrists and trainees, now available for the first time in paperback at low cost. It covers all areas of general psychiatry in depth, and includes sections on each of the subspecialties (for example child psychiatry and forensic psychiatry). It is designed to be used by those in higher training, for continuing education and reaccreditation, and as a specialists' reference. The textbook has been planned with the three themes of contemporary psychiatry in mind. First, the subject has become more unified: there are no longer competing theoretical schools; the biological and psychosocial models have been largely reconciled; and the scientific and clinical points of view have been brought together in an evidence-based approach. The second theme is the importance of the social context in which psychiatry is practised, particularly as this takes place increasingly in the community. Thirdly, the practice of psychiatry is becoming increasingly similar in different countries; this book takes a worldwide approach with expert contributions from many countries.
	Verdict: An amazing piece of work. Two volumes describing the field of psychiatry in enormous depth. Too much for MRCPsych revision but useful as reference material once you've passed the exams. Not to be confused with the Shorter Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry.

	Shorter Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry
	5th edition 2006
	Gelder, Cowen, Harrison | Publisher: Oxford University Press
	Widely recognised as the standard text for trainee psychiatrists. Written by three of the most experienced clinicians and researchers in European psychiatry and neuroscience, the text has been honed over five editions and displays a fluency, authority and insight which is not only rarely found but makes the process of assimilating information as smooth and enjoyable as possible. The book provides an introduction to all the clinical topics required by the trainee psychiatrist, including all the sub-specialties and major psychiatric conditions. Throughout, the authors emphasize the basic clinical skills required for the full assessment and understanding of the patient. Discussion of treatment includes not only scientific evidence, but also practical problems in the management of individual patients. The text emphasizes an evidence-based approach to practice and gives full attention to ethical and legal issues. Introductory chapters focus on recognition of signs and symptoms, classification and diagnosis, psychiatric assessment, and aetiology. Further chapters cover both pharmacological and psychological treatments in detail. A key feature is the equal prominence given to ICD and DSM classification - often with direct comparisons - which gives the book a universal appeal. Revised to include the latest evidence and guidelines using a team of expert advisors, the "Shorter Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry" is the most up-to-date secondary level textbook of psychiatry available. The fifth edition also boasts a new modern design and greater use of summary boxes, tables, and lists than ever before. The extensive bibliography has been brought right up to date and there are targeted reading lists for each chapter. The "Shorter Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry" fulfils all the study and revision needs of psychiatric trainees, but will also prove useful to medical students, GPs, qualified psychiatrists, and those in related fields who need to keep up-to-date with current psychiatric practice.
	Verdict: It's either this book or the Companion to Psychiatric Studies.

	Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry
	9th edition 2002
	Sadock, Sadock | Publisher: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
	The best-selling general psychiatry text since 1972, "Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry" is now in its updated ninth edition. This complete, concise overview of the entire field of psychiatry should be of interest to psychiatry residents and a broad range of students in medicine, clinical psychology, social work and occupational therapy. This edition includes added chapters on health care delivery systems, end-of-life care and palliative medicine. Coverage of psychotropic drugs and neuropsychiatric foundations of biological psychiatry has been significantly updated. The book is DSM-IV compatible and replete with case studies and tables, including ICD-10 diagnostic coding tables. Complete basic science material addresses neuroanatomy and biology, neurochemistry, and neuropsychiatry, as well as the relationship between the brain and behaviour. Coverage of specific mental health disorders includes substance abuse, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, sleep disorders, depression, aggression and more. The text also contains information on the full range of psychotherapies including biofeedback and hypnosis, as well as cognitive, behavioural and group therapies. New to this edition is a chapter on post-traumatic stress disorder, including psychological reactions to terrorist attacks, and an added section on dialectical behavioural therapy.
	Verdict: A major piece of work which is less popular amongst British trainees but is more widely used internationally.

	Core Psychiatry
	2nd edition 2004
	Wright, Stern Phelan | Publisher: Saunders
	This book covers everything in the MRCPsych syllabus that a trainee psychiatrist needs to know in order to pass the exam. Part 1 The Foundations of Psychiatry - A brief history of psychiatry. Clinical neuroanatomy. Psychiatric genetics. Human personality development. Psychology. Descriptive psychopathology. Social psychiatry and sociology. Cultural psychiatry. Epidemiology. Critical appraisal: reading academic papers and reviewing scientific evidence. Challenges to psychiatry: antipsychiatry, the user movement and stigma. Part 2: Clinical Psychiatry - Psychiatry of learning. Child and adolescent learning. Personality disorders. Anxiety disorders. Psychiatry and general medicine. Eating disorders. Schizophrenia and related disorders. Unipolar depression. Bipolar disorder. Suicide and deliberate self harm. Unusual psychiatric syndromes. Psychiatry and women. Adult sequelae of childhood sexual abuse. Sexual disorders. Organic psychiatry. Drugs and alcohol. Psychoactive drugs other than alcohol. Community psychiatry. Forensic psychiatry. Psychiatry of old age. Part 3: Diagnosis, investigation and treatment - Clinical assessment of psychiatric patients. Classification and diagnosis. Neuroimaging and electroencephalography. Risk assessment and emergency psychiatry. Psychotherapy - individual, family and group. Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapies. ECT and psychosurgies. Psychopharmacology. The law and psychiatry.
	Verdict: A large book more focused on the knowledge required for MRCPsych than other books in this section. It may not be as comprehensive as some of the other large books but the information contained is more relevant to the needs of trainees. This is an ideal choice if you wish to buy one book instead of a combination of a large reference book and a smaller revision guide.