Keeping pace with the ever-changing world of self- help, the revised and expanded edition of this indispensable reference helps consumers and professionals distinguish high-quality self-help resources from those that are misleading, inaccurate, or even harmful. The number of resources reviewed has increased by more than 60%, to over 1,000 self-help books, autobiographies, and popular films. Ratings now embody the collective wisdom of more than 3,000 mental health professionals. Supplementing their 8 national studies, the authors also describe and evaluate hundreds of Internet sites and provide valuable listings of self-help and support groups. The volume is organized around 36 frequently encountered clinical problems and life challenges, with entirely new chapters covering posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, youth violence, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and suicide. The concluding chapter delineates 11 key strategies for selecting an effective self-help resource. Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Self-Help in Mental Health
2. Abuse
3. Addictive Disorders
4. Adult Development
5. Aging
6. Anger
7. Anxiety Disorders
8. Assertiveness
9. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
10. Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depression)
11. Borderline and Narcissistic Personality Disorders
12. Career Development
13. Child Development and Parenting
14. Communication and People Skills
15. Death and Grieving
16. Dementia/Alzheimer's
17. Depression
18. Divorce
19. Eating Disorders
20. Families and Stepfamilies
21. Infant Development and Parenting
22. Love and Intimacy
23. Marriage
24. Men's Issues
25. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
26. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
27. Pregnancy
28. Schizophrenia
29. Self-Management and Self-Enhancement
30. Sexuality
31. Spiritual and Existential Concerns
32. Stress Management and Relaxation
33. Suicide
34. Teenagers and Parenting
35. Weight Management
36. Women's Issues
37. Violent Youth
38. Strategies for Selecting Self-Help Resources
Appendix A: The Eight National Studies
Appendix B: Ratings of Self-Help Books in the National Studies
Appendix C: Ratings of Autobiographies in the National Studies
Appendix D: Ratings of Films in the National Studies About the Authors: John C. Norcross, PhD, is Professor and former Chair of Psychology at the University of Scranton. John W. Santrock, PhD, is Professor and former Chair of Psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas. Linda F. Campbell, PhD, is Associate Professor and director of the training clinic in the Department of Counseling and Human Development at the University of Georgia. Thomas P. Smith, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist in the Counseling Center at the University of Scranton. Robert Sommer, PhD, is Professor and former Chair of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. Edward L. Zuckerman, PhD, a clinical psychologist, teacher, and author, has an independent practice in western Pennsylvania. "Two thousand self- help books are published each year, 95% of which have no research basis, and some $600 million is spent on them. What should the public do, and what should the clinician recommend? Self-help and psychoeducational resources can be valid supplemental intervention tools, but clinicians need a dependable guide and a strategy for making recommendations. This updated volume--well researched, authoritative, and user- friendly--offers answers for the critically minded. Covering 36 wide- ranging categories, this is an invaluable reference for clinicians, graduate students, and consumers. Kudos to the authors for providing a valuable revision that should be added to every psychotherapist's toolbox."
-Donald Meichenbaum, PhD, Department of Psychology (Emeritus), University of Waterloo, Canada "The revised edition of the Authoritative Guide significantly expands the original work and updates the list of self- help resources available to the practicing clinician. Norcross et al. build on and continue their tradition of serious scholarship, providing recommendations and evaluations bolstered by eight systematic, scientific studies. Their discussion of films is especially scholarly and erudite, and their recommendations and ratings are consistently on target. Although the book targets practitioners, it will also guide graduate students in the helping professions in sorting through the bewildering array of self-help materials, pointing them in the direction of meaningful treatment tools. I count on this book as a practitioner, and only wish it had been available when I was a student."
-Danny Wedding, PhD, MPH, Missouri Institute of Mental Health, St. Louis |
