50 Signs of Mental Illness
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 | |
| Author | James Whitney Hicks |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Yale University Press |
Publication date | 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 416 |
| ISBN | 978-0-300-10657-2 |
50 Signs of Mental Illness: A Guide to Understanding Mental Health is a 2005 book by psychiatrist James Whitney Hicks published by Yale University Press. The book is designed as an accessible psychiatric reference for non-professionals that describes symptoms, treatments and strategies for understanding mental health.[1]
The 50 signs covered in the book are:[1][2]
- Anger
- Antisocial Behavior
- Anxiety
- Appetite disturbances
- Avoidance
- Body image problems
- Compulsions
- Confusion
- Craving
- Deceitfulness
- Delusions
- Denial
- Depression
- Dissociation
- Euphoria
- Fatigue
- Fears
- Flashbacks
- Grandiosity
- Grief
- Hallucinations
- Histrionics
- Hyperactivity
- Identity confusion
- Impulsiveness
- Intoxication
- Jealousy
- Learning difficulties
- Mania
- Memory loss
- Mood swings
- Movement problems
- Nonsense
- Obsessions
- Oddness
- Panic
- Paranoia
- Physical complaints and pain
- Psychosis
- Religious preoccupations
- Self-esteem problems
- Self-mutilation
- Sexual performance problems
- Sexual preoccupations
- Sleep problems
- Sloppiness
- Speech difficulties
- Stress
- Suicidal thoughts
- Psychological trauma
Reception
A review in the American Journal of Psychiatry commended Hicks's phrasing of acceptable ways to speak about mental illness.[1]
A review in The National Medical Journal of India likewise applauded the book's accessibility to non-experts, though it criticized Hicks's choice of symptoms and suggested "It would be difficult for an Indian to relate to the book" due to the examples he uses.[2]
The book also received attention from Health,[3] Library Journal,[4] The Baltimore Sun,[5] and The Washington Post.[6]