SRRI's in Depression and Anxiety' is a multi-authored text and is the seventh book in a series looking at perspectives in psychiatry, a series mainly concerned with depression and its treatment, although this volume branches out into anxiety disorders. A large area of anxiety and depression is covered including epidemiological and biological aspects, and co-morbidity of the two disorders is discussed. In addition, it goes onto look at the uses of SSRI's in the treatment of both, although much more attention is paid to anxiety-related conditions, including panic disorder, social phobia, obsessivecompulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
It is very much a book of two halves. The ®rst three chapters cover a lot of theory and are packed with highly referenced up to date research information which makes for an enlightening but certainly not a light read! I would recommend dipping in and out of these chapters but, nevertheless, it is worth persevering as they contain a lot of useful and, more to the point, comprehensible educational material on such complex topics as dierent types of brain receptors and neurotransmitters, and their relevance clinically. The section on neuroimaging studies on various anxiety disorders is particulary interesting, especially for those clinicians like me, who ®nd this whole area a mystery.
The second half of the book fortunately, while still being packed with information, is a touch more readerfriendly and reveals many useful hints on the uses of SSRI's in various anxiety disorders.
Overall, I would recommend this book to any clinician treating anxiety, including trainees as well as consultants. Likewise, it is just relevant to those specializing in old age as those in other branches of psychiatry.