Schizophrenia

Kevin Volkan and Vamik Volkan present a comprehensive study of schizophrenia using a psychoanalytic lens on the existing interdisciplinary research. Over the last seventy years, mainstream research on the causes, prevalence, and treatment of schizophrenia has greatly diverged from psychoanalytic thinking. However, the emergence of the field of neuropsychoanalysis brings hope that psychoanalytic metapsychology and clinical theory may once again provide valuable insight into understanding schizophrenia. Psychoanalytic treatment may not be appropriate for many sufferers but psychoanalysis does provide insight to inform and improve treatment. It can also illuminate what aspects of schizophrenia are common across cultures, where they present unique characteristics, and just how cultural variations occur. For any future improvement in understanding and treating schizophrenia, the cultural underpinnings and expressions of schizophrenic illness need to be made clear. For clinicians in the field, the authors' aim is to deepen insight and promote the use of psychotherapy and integrated treatments, while increasing sensitivity to cultural variations in schizophrenic disease. Accordingly, this book is divided into four sections. The first gives a brief overview and outline of the mainstream understanding of schizophrenia. The second drills down to focus on general psychoanalytic ideas about schizophrenia, culminating with a focus on problems with early object relations. The third looks at how psychoanalytic treatment can be successful in some cases. The fourth and final part discusses how views of the disorder and the disorder itself are affected by culture. The authors hope to generate insight and understanding of schizophrenic disorders which could lead to new approaches to treating and possibly preventing schizophrenia. It is a must-read for all clinicians and trainees working in the field and presents interesting ideas to anyone with an interest in the subject.

Kevin Volkan and Vamik Volkan present a comprehensive study of schizophrenia using a psychoanalytic lens on the existing interdisciplinary research. Over the last seventy years, mainstream research on the causes, prevalence, and treatment of schizophrenia has greatly diverged from psychoanalytic thinking. However, the emergence of the field of neuropsychoanalysis brings hope that psychoanalytic metapsychology and clinical theory may once again provide valuable insight into understanding schizophrenia. Psychoanalytic treatment may not be appropriate for many sufferers but psychoanalysis does provide insight to inform and improve treatment. It can also illuminate what aspects of schizophrenia are common across cultures, where they present unique characteristics, and just how cultural variations occur. For any future improvement in understanding and treating schizophrenia, the cultural underpinnings and expressions of schizophrenic illness need to be made clear. For clinicians in the field, the authors' aim is to deepen insight and promote the use of psychotherapy and integrated treatments, while increasing sensitivity to cultural variations in schizophrenic disease. Accordingly, this book is divided into four sections. The first gives a brief overview and outline of the mainstream understanding of schizophrenia. The second drills down to focus on general psychoanalytic ideas about schizophrenia, culminating with a focus on problems with early object relations. The third looks at how psychoanalytic treatment can be successful in some cases. The fourth and final part discusses how views of the disorder and the disorder itself are affected by culture. The authors hope to generate insight and understanding of schizophrenic disorders which could lead to new approaches to treating and possibly preventing schizophrenia. It is a must-read for all clinicians and trainees working in the field and presents interesting ideas to anyone with an interest in the subject.

About the authors About this bookPart I: Schizophrenia: Epidemiology, causes, neurobiology, pathophysiology Chapter 1: Introduction and overview of schizophrenia Chapter 2: Causes of schizophrenia Chapter 3: Neurobiology of schizophrenia Chapter 4: Brain structure and schizophrenia Chapter 5: Cognition and schizophrenia Chapter 6: Social-cognitive and emotional recognition impairment in schizophrenia Chapter 7: Treatment of schizophrenia Chapter 8: Non-psychodynamic therapeutic approaches to treating schizophrenia Chapter 9: Recovery from schizophrenia Chapter 10: Prevention of schizophreniaPart II: The psychoanalytic metapsychology of schizophrenia Chapter 11: Neuropsychoanalysis and schizophrenia Chapter 12: Early psychoanalytic approaches to understanding schizophrenia Chapter 13: A review of object relations and severe psychopathology Chapter 14: Schizophrenic etiology and organismal panic Chapter 15: The infantile psychotic self Chapter 16: Flawed ingredients Chapter 17: Fates of infantile psychotic selvesPart III: Psychoanalytic approaches to treating schizophrenia Chapter 18: Psychodynamic approaches to treating schizophrenia Chapter 19: Psychoanalytic treatment of adult schizophrenia Chapter 20: Fusing-disconnecting and internalization-externalization cycles Chapter 21: Development of a steady identification with the "good" analyst Chapter 22: "Sophisticated" identifications and externalizations Chapter 23: Permanent elimination of the infantile psychotic self? Chapter 24: Oedipal issues and superego identificationsPart IV: Cultural elements in schizophrenia Chapter 25: Schizophrenia and culture Chapter 26: Causes and beliefs about schizophrenia Chapter 27: Object relations and culture Chapter 28: Culture-bound schizophrenia Chapter 29: Psychoanalysis and syndromes of culture-bound schizophrenia Last words References Index