This substantial textbook, edited by well-known academics and clinicians, certainly provides a comprehensive guide to all the common disorders that clinicians working within child and adolescent mental health services are likely to encounter.
The book uses a slightly unusual format in that ‘the emphasis is on providing clinical guidance’ rather than an exhaustive review of each disorder. This is a strength, in my view, but if trainees are to use the book regularly, then an awareness that not all research findings are included, and that theoretical approaches are not covered, is important.
In my opinion the book achieves its aim of providing a valuable resource that is readily accessible, as the uniform layout of the chapters is intuitively sensible and the information is condensed well, enabling the clinician to find what they need easily. A particular strength of the book is the appendices, which provide tools for assessment of intervention planning and evaluation. In an age when quality control has become a watchword, this book provides significant assistance in a readily available format. All the chapters are well written but I particularly liked the one on eating disorders, which includes very helpful lists and tables as well as a comprehensive appendix including three commonly used questionnaires. The percentile charts were perhaps less successful. The chapter on gender identity disorders was also excellent and I have used the information and questionnaires to good effect.
Overall I would recommend this book to clinicians and perhaps particularly to new consultants taking an active role in quality assurance.
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