The easing of mental suffering by treatments which directly affect the substance of the brain has a long history and an established place in psychiatric practice.

This new edition of a highly successful book reviewing the current status of these treatment methods has been updated to include discussion of new groups of compounds and also new families of drugs which have come into greater prominence, such as newer antidepressants, The book is concerned particularly with clinical practice and discusses in detail the management of individual conditions and the use of psychotropic drugs. The rational and effective use of these techniques needs an understanding of the scientific background, and chapters are devoted to basic pharmacology, the evaluation of treatment methods, the development of new techniques, the psychosocial and politico-ethical aspects of treatment, and the special problems encountered in treating children and the elderly. The economic aspects of prescribing are also outlined.

The book will be of interest to psychiatrists, especially those reading for postgraduate qualifications, to those dealing with the mentally ill, and to neruopharmacologists who wish to understand current treatment methods in clincial psychiatry.