Treating Chronic and Severe Mental Disorders: A Handbook of Empirically Supported Interventions

While recent developments in psychopharmacology have been widely disseminated, equally important advances in psychological strategies for severe mental health problems have received less attention. Filling a crucial gap in the literature, this volume brings together leading clinical scientists to present evidence-based approaches for treating schizophrenia, severe mood disorders, substance use problems, and severe personality disorders. Cutting-edge modalities represented include cognitive-behavioral therapies, couple and family treatments, motivational interviewing, group work, and others. Written in a highly practical style, each chapter reviews the empirical basis for the treatment at hand; explains basic concepts and applications; and provides step-by-step implementation guidelines, concrete clinical examples, and patient-therapist dialogues. Also discussed are ways to modify each approach for different populations and strategies for integrating psychological and pharmacological treatments.