Psychiatric Interviewing: The Art of Understanding, 3rd Edition
Description
The importance of a thorough and effective clinical interview in psychiatry is indisputable. With no reliable biological tests for the majority of psychiatric illnesses, an interview remains the key diagnostic tool. However, the utility of a psychiatric interview goes well beyond a simple survey of signs, symptoms, and historical events that would culminate in the generation of a differential diagnosis and treatment plan. For many patients, the initial interview can be a test drive of the field in general and their provider in particular and, if done well, can forge a trusting bond essential for future engagement in treatment. If done poorly, however, the same initial interview may irreparably damage rapport and sabotage success even of an otherwise straightforward patient. To add to its utility as a diagnostic and empathic tool, the psychiatric interview can go even further and function as a therapeutic intervention in and of itself by artfully pointing out a patient’s maladaptive patterns or generating much-needed motivation for change. In the third edition of this highly-successful book on psychiatric interviewing, Dr. Shea provides step-by-step guidance and demystifies the process of a successful psychiatric interview through ample examples, practical points, and side-by-side comparisons of various approaches, while effectively using humor and personal anecdotes to keep readers engaged. New to this edition are expanded and updated chapters on such important topics as motivational interviewing, suicide assessment strategies, and medication discussions with patients, as well as additional coverage of issues pertinent to intercultural communication and familial factors. Finally, new to this book is over 7.5 hours of streaming video, adding yet another learning modality to this already excellent book.
Purpose
The purpose is to “prepare the trainee to function effectively, and with compassion, [through] acquisition of a series of advancing interviewing skills that must be developed sequentially throughout the years of their residency and graduate training.” Dr. Shea’s solution to this complex task is to start with mastering the so-called “core interviewing skills,” such as empathy, engagement, structuring and uncovering of sensitive topics, and then to apply these basic skills to real world psychiatry by expanding on more advanced interviewing topics. The author promises to make his “best effort to address these progressive steps in a fashion that makes their acquisition both more pleasant and more effective,” which he indeed delivers.
Audience
This book is primarily targeted at “young mental health professionals,” including psychiatry residents and graduate students in psychology, although other psychiatric workers, such as nurses, counselors, or social workers likely will find this book useful in sharpening their interview skills and expanding clinical approaches. Finally, seasoned experts who are interested in learning about more specialized topics or looking for a textbook to teach interviewing skills also may find this book helpful.
Features
Dr. Shea’s goal is to guide readers through the process of the psychiatric interview, starting with essential core skills and adding on layers of complexity in order to develop a flexible and versatile diagnostic and therapeutic tool that the psychiatric interview is designed to be. He accomplishes this in the print book of 18 chapters grouped into three parts, supplemented by a fourth part and streaming video online. Part I is primarily focused on the basics of psychiatric interviewing, such as structuring and leading the interview, effective use of close-ended and open-ended questions, and systematic information gathering, while maintaining empathic connection and learning to view each patient as a unique individual – “the person beneath the diagnosis.” At the end of part I, an introductory section covers nonverbal behaviors inherent in any formal interview or a casual conversation, yet often omitted from formal learning. Part II is focused on applying these core interviewing skills to distinct diagnostic categories, including mood, psychotic, and personality disorders. The author shows how the basic interview format can be modified to meet particular clinical needs, while emphasizing sensitivity and artfully explaining why a certain approach ought to succeed or fail with each type of a patient. Part III further hones advanced interviewing skills, dissecting the mental status exam into easily digestible bites, and demonstrating the intricacies of suicidal and homicidal evaluations through a series of in-depth discussions supplemented by several annotated video clips.
New to this edition of the book, the author demonstrates the Chronological Assessment of Suicide Events (CASE) approach with several video examples of complete interviews.
Assessment
This edition retains all the elements responsible for the success of the earlier editions, yet is significantly expanded with ample new material in the print version, additional online material, and videos. This remains one of the premier books on the psychiatric interview.
Doody’s Review Service Weighted Numerical Score: 97 – 5 Stars!
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