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The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is true of behavioral disorders as well as the men and women in whom they arise, and few psychologists would contend that a syndrome such as depression can be reduced to the symptoms it comprises. But true scientific progress, whether it be in atomic physics or the behavioral sciences, cannot occur without a rigorous, ongoing investigation of the constituent elements of the phenomena under investigation. The purpose of this groundbreaking book, then, is to advance our understanding of depression by directing focus away from the global syndrome of depression and onto the individual symptoms it comprises - to more clearly define them, their origins, and their functional relationships. To this end, Charles G. Costello, in Symptoms of Depression, has brought together contributions from some of the field's foremost researchers and clinicians who share their findings on symptoms common to depressive disorders. Over the course of twelve chapters they offer their insights into all major symptoms of depression, including dysphoria, anhedonia, sleeping problems, hopelessness, suicide attempts, social dysfunction, cognitive dysfunction, eating problems, and more. Each chapter deals with a separate symptom and follows a common format covering definition, measurement, frequency of occurrence; a review of clinical and experimental findings that have led to the current theories of the causes of the symptom, its functional relationship to other symptoms of depression, and implications for clinical practice. In the final chapter, Charles G. Costello suggests ways in which more meaningfully defined syndromes of depression might arise from research andtheories about specific symptoms. The only work focusing exclusively on current knowledge of the symptoms of depression, this book affords clinicians and researchers a fresh approach to understanding and treating depressive disorders. In so doing, Symptoms of Depression may serve as the foundation for a more rigorous, systematic approach to psychopathology.
About the author
CHARLES G. COSTELLO, PhD, is Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Calgary. Dr. Costello attended Manchester University, Durham University, and London University, from which he received his doctorate in psychology in 1960. In 1989, he was awarded The Psychologists' Association of Alberta President's Award for Exceptional Contributions to the Discipline of Psychology in Alberta. A prolific writer, he is the author of more than 90 published articles on a wide range of topics in psychology. His other books include Symptoms of Psychopathology, Symptoms of Depression, Symptoms of Schizophrenia, Psychology for Psychiatrists, and N=1: Experimental Investigation of the Individual Case.
Summary
Approaches the psychopathology of this disorder focusing on the symptoms that comprise the global syndrome.
