Completely updated in its Third Edition, this text provides an evidence-based approach to the clinical use of today's psychotropic drugs. The book comprehensively summarizes the scientific and clinical research literature and offers treatment strategies that flow directly from scientific data.The first chapter sets forth key principles of psychopharmacotherapy, foremost of which is the thorough assessment of the patient's history that helps establish the appropriate role of drug therapy. Subsequent chapters discuss the major categories of psychiatric drugs, present strategies for their therapeutic use, and discuss meta-analyses of clinical and scientific studies. Concluding chapters address anxiety disorders and special populations. Each chapter has user-friendly features such as highlighted/italicized text, tables, bulleted lists, and diagrams.