“The books we read should be chosen with great care, that they may be, as an Egyptian king wrote over his library, ‘The medicines of the soul.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (emphasis in red chosen by us)
On this page are links to the BEST books on different topics–for mental health clinicians and their patients.
We should *routinely* recommend to patients (and their loved ones) very *specific* book(s) about their illness because this allows patients to educate themselves. Two rules about this that I follow are:
1) Only one or two of the best books for that purpose, NOT a list of twenty. Listing twenty usually guarantees that the person will read none.
2) Only books that are practical and will be USEFUL, not those that are just “interesting.”
If you have other books that you would highly recommend, please share them at the bottom of this page (under “Leave a Reply”)
For clinicians
Psychiatric Evaluation
The best books on psychiatric interviewing
Psychiatric Disorders
The best books on suicide risk assessment and management
The best books on adult ADHD: For clinicians
The best books on geriatric psychiatry for clinicians
The best books for clinicians about evaluating and treating personality disorders
The best books on adult Asperger’s syndrome: For clinicians
The best books on inpatient psychiatry
The best books on body dysmorphic disorder: For clinicians
The best books about eating disorders: For clinicians
Medications and Side Effects
The best books on psychological factors in effectively prescribing medications
The best books on managing side effects (adverse effects) of psychotropic medications
Non-Medication Interventions
The best books on learning psychotherapy
The best books for clinicians: Learning motivational interviewing
The best books on meditation and mindfulness (for clinicians)
The best books on time management
Interpreting and using the research literature
The best books on evidence-based medicine
The best books on statistics: For clinicians
Other topics
The best books about doing presentations
The best books on how to teach
For patients and their families
Addictions
How to choose a rehab (recommended book for persons with substance use disorders and their families)
ADHD
The best books on adult ADHD: For patients and families
Book review: ADHD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life
Book review: Mindfulness prescription for Adult ADHD
Anxiety Disorders
The best books for patients with “anxiety”
The best books for patients with panic disorder
Bipolar Disorders
The best books on bipolar disorder: For patients and families
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
The best books on body dysmorphic disorder: For patients and families
Dementia
The best books for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
Depressive Disorders (“Depression”)
The best books on depressive disorders: For patients and families
Eating Disorders
The best books about eating disorders: For patients and their families
Fear of Death
The best books on overcoming fear of death
Grief
The best books on dealing with grief: For patients and their families
Meditation and Mindfulness
The best books about meditation and mindfulness (for patients and the general public)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
The best books on OCD: For patients and families
Schizophrenia
The best books on schizophrenia: For patients and families
Social Skills
The best books about improving social skills
Substance Use—see Addictions
Other Topics
The best books on how to change habits
The best books about nutrition and diet
The best books on how to get to and maintain a healthy weight
The best books on how to improve a relationship
The best books on parenting
The best books on time management
The best books on yoga
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Disclaimer: The content on this website is provided as general education for medical professionals. It is not intended or recommended for patients or other laypersons or as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Patients must always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding their diagnosis and treatment. Healthcare professionals should always check this website for the most recently updated information.
Do you have recommendations for books on interpreting and responding to labs?
The books I’ve found will describe the relevance of a lab to psychiatric care and list a reference range, but not give practical steps in management.
For example, if a value is out of range, do you reorder the test again? Other follow up tests for further assessment? At what level do we consider a given lab out of range to be clinically significant (1.1x? 10x? 100x?)
thanks!
Any good books for Correctional psychiatry?
Any recommendations on books for patients for preventing Dementia?
The Medication Interest Model by Dr. Shawn Christopher Shea is a must-read for all prescribing providers
Looking for a book for an 83 year old female patient. First episode of depression precipitated by fear of death. Is physically very healthy and has a great life. Thanks
In response to your request, Dr. Mansoor, we have added a page that addresses this need. Please see https://simpleandpractical.com/recommended-best-books-fear-of-death/
So glad the second edition is now available. Along with this site “Simple and Practical” I look forward to another very useful reference
Excellent news about the upcoming interview and the new 2nd edition! Agreed, this book is a very useful resource and I use it on a regular basis.
A great book is: “Managing the side effects of psychotropic medications” by Joseph Goldberg and Carrie Ernst. A second edition will be released in July 2018. This book is complete and very helpful.
Absolutely agree! It is a terrific book. I am waiting for the second edition to add it to this page. I will also interview Dr. Goldberg on video about the book. As you know, Dr. Goldberg is on the Editorial Board of Simple and Practical Mental Health.