Clinical Manual of Pain Management in Psychiatry: A Comprehensive Guide

Authored by Raphael J. Leo, this clinical manual focuses on the crucial role of mental health practitioners in pain management, covering evaluation, assessment, pharmacological management, psychotherapeutic interventions, and comprehensive treatment planning.

Understanding Pain Pathophysiology and Applied Clinical Information

The manual expertly balances theoretical foundations of pain pathophysiology with applied clinical information, providing guidelines for psychiatric differential diagnosis of pain states and psychiatric comorbidities associated with pain. It integrates diagnostic and treatment approaches, emphasizing the importance of examining psychological variables that can limit outcomes and preclude aggressive interventional approaches.

A Holistic Approach to Pain Management

The book views the patient from biological, psychological, and social perspectives, recognizing that proper treatment requires understanding the whole person. It addresses considerations pertinent to the elderly, children, and cultural groups, ensuring that clinicians are equipped to provide personalized care.

Advances in Pain Medicine and Updates in Treatment Approaches

This manual builds upon the author’s previous work, reflecting significant advances in the field of pain medicine. It updates trends in treatment approaches, including our understanding of chronic pain conditions and presents new knowledge of the biological substrates underlying both pain and psychiatric comorbidities.

Practical Benefits and Features

• Features updated coverage of common psychiatric comorbidities such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders
• Addresses common pain disorders ranging from headache and back pain to pain related to cancer and HIV
• Includes an extensively revised chapter on pharmacology, familiarizing readers with the range of pain medications and providing information on dosages and side effects
• Fully discusses psychotherapeutic approaches, plus adjunctive interventions such as biofeedback and hypnosis
• Covers special techniques such as acupuncture and regional neural blockade
• Offers updated advice on emerging forensic issues, from disability claims to controlled substance diversion

This comprehensive guide is designed for quick reference, featuring numerous tables and illustrations, making it easily understandable by less experienced clinicians or non-pain specialists. While written expressly for busy psychiatrists, it is also useful to psychologists, social workers, and other physicians.

Published by American Psychiatric Publishing on May 20, 2008, this manual is an invaluable resource for healthcare professionals seeking to improve their understanding and management of pain.

Language: English
ISBN: 9781585622757, 9781585626755