Posttraumatic stress disorder : malady or myth? /

In this scholarly addition to the "Current Perspectives in Psychology" series, Brewin (University College London) traces the history of the many controversies surrounding the study of posttraumatic stress disorder in particular and recovered memories in general. He addresses, for example, whether the disorder really exists as a bona fide condition, whether it is a natural response, and why there are warring factions on both sides of this discussion. If it is a disorder, does its source lie within the individual or in an outside stressor or both? Do current classification systems adequately distinguish this disorder from other disorders? What are the difficulties in researching this problem? Can one differentiate true sufferers from malingerers? Which treatments can be harmful and which helpful--and to what extent and why? Brewin manages to disentangle most of these issues and, in some cases, to reconcile them while conceding to their complexity. His greatest and unique contribution, however, is his ability to organize information from diverse sources in an unbiased way and to shed light on these problems, which have passionately divided practitioners, researchers, and academicians. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, faculty, and professional collections. K. M. Dillon Western New England College