50 Signs of Mental Illness

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.Forrest, D. (2007, January 1). Book Forum: Review. Am J Psychiatry, 164(1): 178-179.

List of signs The 50 signs covered in the book are:Ambekar, A., Kushwaha, V. (2009). Book Reviews. The National Medical Journal of India, 22(3): 155–156.

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.

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.

The book also received attention from Health,Am I crazy or what? (2006). Health, 20(4), 137. Library Journal,Lieberman, E. J. (2005, April 15). Book Review. Library Journal, 130(7): 107. The Baltimore Sun,Regan, M. B. (2005, April 1). Understanding mental illness. The Baltimore Sun, p. 3E. and The Washington Post.Mott, G. (2005, March 29). How Sick Is Your Thinking Really? The Washington Post, HE02.

References

Further reading Bardi, C. A. (2005). The Promise And Perils Of Psychological Self-Help. PsycCRITIQUES, 50(51). American Psychiatric Association (July, 2018)

External links Official site Yale University Press