Schizophrenia

Gr 7–12 Fortified with contemporary individual case studies of both teens and adults, each title in the Compact Research: Diseases and Disorders series discusses variations of each disease, as well as the prevalence, symptoms, causes, effects, diagnoses, and treatment, drawing upon media interviews and commentary as well as clinical reports and research studies. Anxiety Disorders will have wide YA readership, especially because it is the most common form of mental illness in the U. S. —from post-traumatic stress disorder and panic attacks to claustrophobia. The discussion is jargon free, honest about trauma’s agonizing toll, and includes info on therapy and medications. Up to date, accurate, and clearly written, Brain Tumors focuses on the pathology of how tumors form, as well as the symptoms and treatment. Very clear about how little is known about causes, this title raises an important teen issue: can heavy cell-phone use increase brain tumors? Personality Disorders is not as accessible, with some heavy jargon, but it is up to date enough to include information on dialectic behavior therapy. Schizophrenia does an excellent job of demystifying the disorder, including the multiple-personality diagnosis, and discusses whether particular treatments can help. The clear design includes recent graphs and tables, color photos and diagrams, and lots of carefully documented primary-source quotes from patients, researchers, and scientists.

Fortified with contemporary individual case studies of both teens and adults, each title in the Compact Research: Diseases and Disorders series discusses variations of each disease, as well as the prevalence, symptoms, causes, effects, diagnoses, and treatment, drawing upon media interviews and commentary as well as clinical reports and research studies. Anxiety Disorders will have wide YA readership, especially because it is the most common form of mental illness in the U. S.—from post-traumatic stress disorder and panic attacks to claustrophobia. The discussion is jargon free, honest about trauma’s agonizing toll, and includes info on therapy and medications. Up to date, accurate, and clearly written, Brain Tumors focuses on the pathology of how tumors form, as well as the symptoms and treatment. Very clear about how little is known about causes, this title raises an important teen issue: can heavy cell-phone use increase brain tumors? Personality Disorders is not as accessible, with some heavy jargon, but it is up to date enough to include information on dialectic behavior therapy. Schizophrenia does an excellent job of demystifying the disorder, including the multiple-personality diagnosis, and discusses whether particular treatments can help. The clear design includes recent graphs and tables, color photos and diagrams, and lots of carefully documented primary-source quotes from patients, researchers, and scientists. —Hazel Rochman