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Recommended Books on Schizophrenia

Following are books that we highly recommend for people who want to learn more about schizophrenia, and related issues. For more information on each book or video, simply click on the Title link. Note, It may take a few seconds before a new web browser window opens on your computer with the book information. Your support in purchasing books through the links below would be greatly appreciated as it helps cover this web site's operating costs. Please tell friends who might benefit from this list of books to visit our web site too. For those who don't have computer access, please print out a copy of this page and give it to them - Thank you.

Introductory Books on Schizophrenia

Dr. E. Fuller Torrey's book "Surviving Schizophrenia" is an book we highly recommend for every family affected by schizophrenia. Dr. Torrey is a leader in the schizophrenia research field, and has a sister with schizophrenia, so in writting this book he has drawn from extensive personal, clinical and research experience. For a good news story on Dr. Torrey please see: "Schizophrenia's Most Zealous Foe".

"Diagnosis Schizophrenia" is also an extremely good book that has been written with the direct input from a lot of people who have schizophrenia who discuss their personal experiences. It is valuable for all family members to read, as well as for the person who has schizophrenia. "I'm Not Sick..." is another good book for people to read if they have a family member or friend who does not understand they have schizophrenia and don't think they need help. Lastly, "Schizophrenia Revealed" has also gotten many good reviews.

Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Consumers, and Providers (4th Edition) by E. Fuller Torrey (Author), Publisher: Quill; 4th edition (May 8, 2001) ISBN: 0060959193

Diagnosis: Schizophrenia by Rachel Miller (Editor), Susan Elizabeth Mason (Editor), Publisher: Columbia University Press; (October 15, 2002) ISBN: 0231126255

Diagnosis: Schizophrenia recounts the journeys of thirty-five young people who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The book is designed for those who wish to understand how it feels to have the disease, including the patients themselves, family members, students and anyone with an interest in how people sustain hope through a debilitating illness. The book is unique because people who have schizophrenia provided their personal stories and helped to design and edit much of the book. A panel of experts - including psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers and psychiatric rehabilitation workers - contributed to and reviewed the manuscript to ensure that the content is accurate and up to date.

I am Not Sick, I Don't Need Help! - Helping the Seriously Mentally Ill Accept Treatment by Xavier Amador, Anna-Lica Johanson (Contributor), Publisher: Vida Press; (June 2000) ISBN: 0967718902 - This book helps you learn what the latest research says about why so many do not believe they are ill, why they refuse treatment, and how you can help. The book is written for families and therapists. This book is also available in Spanish (see directly below)

No Estoy Enfermo! No Necesito Ayuda! by Dr. Xavier Amador, with Anna-Lisa Johanson

Day-to-Day Coping Strategies for Families

After a family has learned the basics about schizophrenia in the "Introductory" books above, we recommend the following books be read for ideas and suggestions on how to deal with the many unique, day-to-day challenges that you'll face when trying to help and live with a mentally ill person. "Adamec, herself the mother of a schizophrenic daughter, presents a handbook for developing daily coping and caregiving skills. Not intended to describe, diagnose, or treat any particular mental illness, this book instead advises the caregiver on how to balance the needs of the family as a whole and suggests strategies for dealing effectively with common and serious symptoms (e.g., hallucinations, poor hygiene) and situations (e.g., refusals to take medication, disagreements between the caregiver and doctors or therapists).

Surviving Mental Illness: Stress, Coping, and Adaptation by Agnes B. Hatfield, Harriet P. Lefley, John S. Strauss, Publisher: Guilford Press; (May 21, 1993) ISBN: 0898620228

Other very good books in this area:

How to Live With a Mentally Ill Person: A Handbook of Day-To-Day Strategies by Christine Adamec, D. J. Jaffe, Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; (April 1996) ASIN: 0471114197

When Someone You Love Has a Mental Illness: A Handbook for Family, Friends, and Caregivers, by Rebecca Woolis, Agnes Hatfied, Publisher: J. P. Tarcher; (September 1992) ISBN: 0874776953

Overcoming Depression, 3rd edition by Demitri Papolos, Publisher: Quill; 3rd edition (February 1997), ISBN: 0060927828

Schizophrenia & Related Medications (Antipsychotics)

The following book is a good guide to psychiatric drugs that has been popular with patients and families since the first edition was published in 1990. It includes not only a summary of each drug used for all the major psychiatric disorders, but also chapters on issues such as "Sex and psychiatric drugs", "Psychiatric drugs and pregnancy", etc.

The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs : Includes The Most Recent Information On: Antidepressants, Tranquilizers and Antianxiety Drugs, Antipsychotics, Drugs annd Pregnancy, Drugs and the Elderly, Drugs and AIDS, Side-effects and Withdrawal Symptoms, and Much, Much More by Jack M., M.D. Gorman, Publisher: St. Martin's Press; (December 1998), ISBN: 0312954581

Peter Weiden's book on anti-psychotic medications provides a good overview of most of the medications that you'll likely run into when you have a family member with schizophrenia. It is written for family members so it is a book that anyone can read and get value from. The key drawback of the book is generally perceived to be its uncritical enthusiasm for the newer drugs and the implicit assumption that all people with schizophrenia should be switched to newer medications. As has become increasingly clear, the more recently-introduced drugs also have many problems and side-effects.

Breakthroughs in Antipsychotic Medications: A Guide for Consumers, Families, and Clinicians. by Peter J. Weiden (Editor), Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company; (May 1999) ISBN: 0393703037

Consumer's Guide to Psychiatric Drugs, by John D. Preston, John H. O'Neal, Mary C. Talaga, Publisher: New Harbinger Pubns; (2000) ASIN: 157224111X

Financial Planning with a Mentally ill Child

The following book may be out of print - but used copies are frequently available on the Amazon site, as well as elsewhere. You might also try your local libraries to see if they have a copy.

Planning for the Future: Providing a Meaningful Life for a Child With a Disability After Your Death by L. Mark Russell (Editor), Publisher: Amer Pub Co; Revised edition, ASIN: 0963578006

Housing and Accomodation for the Mentally Ill

Highland Road; is written by a respected New York Times reporter who spent two years hanging around a group home for mentally ill, on Long Island, NY. E.Fuller Torrey suggests that "Perhaps the book's greatest contribution is to illustrate that individuals with schizophrenia need more support, and people who believe in them. A good group home, such as Winerip is describing, provides those things and is an optimal living situation for many people with this diagnosis."

9 Highland Road: Sane Living for the Mentally Il by Michael Winerip, Publisher: Vintage Books; Reprint edition (June 1995) ISBN: 0679761608

Christianity and Schizophrenia

This book explains serious mental illness from a Biblical world view. The primary focus of the book is schizophrenia and the difference between mental illness and demonic possession. The author, Dr. Steven Waterhouse's brother suffers from schizophrenia. Steven's research for Christian answers and help arose from his understanding of what families with mental illness go through, and that there are few Godly resources available to help.

Strength For His People - Ordering Details

Personal, Hopeful Stories on Schizophrenia

Lori Schiller's story is a very positive and hopeful story we also recommend for every family impacted by schizophrenia. Ken Steele, a well-known advocate for the mentally ill, also had a very positive story to tell. The well known "A beautiful mind" has received many good reviews and has been a best seller, however its a long book about a unique situation and not generally relevant for families of people with schizophrenia (we recommend the movie over the book). Carol North's autobiographical story of her triumph over schizophrenia includes a good description of the experience of auditory hallucinations and the personal battles against the symptoms of the disease, but her case is also atypical in many ways (she was one of the few patients who responded dramatically to an experimental treatment that rarely worked for other people with schizophrenia).

The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness by Lori Schiller, Publisher: Warner Books; (January 1996) ISBN: 0446671339

The Day the Voices Stopped: A Schizophrenic's Journey from Madness to Hope by Ken Steele, Claire Berman, Publisher: Basic Books; (May 7, 2002) ISBN: 0465082270, A good, in-depth Review of Ken Steele's Book

Welcome, Silence: My Triumph over Schizophrenia by Carol S., M.D. North, Publisher: Simon & Schuster; (June 1987) ASIN: 0671528343

A Beautiful Mind: The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash by Sylvia Nasar, Publisher: Touchstone Books; (November 27, 2001) ISBN: 0743224574

Books for Brothers and Sisters, and Sons and Daughters of People with Schizophrenia

The Skipping Stone is a highly-recommended book that is a summary of 100 interviews done with family members of individuals with a serious mental illness documenting the effect on the siblings, spouses, grandparents, and children of affected individuals. Victoria Secunda's book is also on the impact of schizophrenia on siblings is extremely valuable for parents and family members to help understand the affect of one person's mental illness on children and others in the family. We recommend "When Madness Comes Home" for both parents and the adult children that have come from homes where one sibling or parent has had schizophrenia. The other books are some good personal accounts of growing up with siblings or parents with schizophrenia and include many lessons that others in similar situations can learn from.

The Skipping Stone: The Rippling Effect of Mental Illness in the Family by Mona Wasow, Publisher: Science & Behavior Books; (July 1995) ASIN: 083140082X, (This book is out of print but may be available in used book stores and in your local library).

When Madness Comes Home: Help and Hope for the Children, Siblings, and Partners of the Mentally Ill by Victoria Secunda, Publisher: Hyperion (Adult Trd Pap); Reprint edition (August 1998) ASIN: 078688326X

Hidden Victims - Hidden Healers: An Eight Stage Healing Process for Family and Friends of the Mentally Ill, By Julie Johnson, Publisher: P E M A Pubns Inc; 2nd edition (July 1994)
ISBN: 0964043009

My Sister's Keeper: Learning to Cope with a Sibling's Mental Illness by Margaret Moorman, Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company; (February 2002) ISBN: 0393324044

Mad House: Growing Up in the Shadow of Mentally Ill Siblings by Clea Simon, Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper); (May 1998) ISBN: 0140274340

Growing Up With a Schizophrenic Mother by by Margaret J. Brown, Doris Parker Roberts, Publisher: McFarland & Company; (August 2000), ISBN: 0786408200

My Mother's Keeper: A Daughter's Memoir of Growing Up in the Shadow of Schizophrenia by Tara Elgin Holley, Joe Holley (Contributor), Publisher: William Morrow; Reprint edition (July 1998) ASIN: 0380723026

The Outsider: A Journey into My Father's Struggle With Madness by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer, Publisher: Broadway Books; (August 14, 2001) ISBN: 0767901916

Imagining Robert: My Brother, Madness, and Survival: A Memoir by Jay Neugeboren, Publisher: Rutgers University Press; (May 2003), ISBN: 0813532965, There is also a film made about this book - see the video/film section below.

Rescuing Patty Hearst: Memories From a Decade Gone Mad By Virginia Holman. As a child, Holman was held captive by her schizophrenic mother in a 700-square-foot cabin with cement floors and no ceilings in rural Virginia; her book tells the story. She received a Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship for 2003-2004. Publisher: Simon & Schuster; (March 6, 2003), ISBN: 0743222857

Chidren's Books on Mental Illness/Schizophrenia

The following books are books written for younger audiences (Children between ages of approximately 7 to 13 years old) who are trying to understand mental illness in their family. (These two books are out of print, but still available as used books frequently - and if you know of any newer books like these, please let us know). Other sources for these books may be the local library.

Crazy Quilt by Jocelyn Riley, Publisher: Bantam Books; Reprint edition (April 1986) ASIN: 0553256408

Only My Mouth Is Smiling by Jocelyn Riley, Publisher: William Morrow; (March 1982) ASIN: 0688010873

More Advanced Books on Schizophrenia

These books cover the science, biology and genetics of schizophrenia. "Nature via Nurture", while not specifically a book about schizophrenia - has an entire chapter (Chapter 4 - The Madness of Causes) on the genetics and environmental influences of schizophrenia. Overall, the book is a well-written and very enjoyable book about the interplay of genes and environment in human development. Dr. Nancy Andreason's and Dr. Irv Gottesman's books are good in-depth college-level books covering schizophrenia by two of the leading researchers that are focused on schizophrenia.

Nature Via Nurture : Genes, Experience, and What Makes Us Human by Matt Ridley (Author), Publisher: HarperCollins; (April 29, 2003) ISBN: 0060006781

Psychiatric Genetics and Genomics by Peter McGuffin (Editor), Michael J Owen (Editor), Irving I Gottesman (Editor), Publisher: Oxford University Press; (December 2, 2002), ISBN: 0192631489

Brave New Brain: Conquering Mental Illness in the Era of the Genome by Nancy C. Andreasen, Publisher: Oxford University Press; (April 2001) ISBN: 0195145097 (HARDCOVER) "Excellent introductions to neuroscience, brain imaging, and genetics. Outstanding overviews of what is known about the neuroscience and genetics of the major psychiatric disorders of schizophrenia, mood disorders, dementia, and anxiety disorders. The descriptions of the history and neuroscience of medication are especially good."--Nature

Brave New Brain: Conquering Mental Illness in the Era of the Genome by Nancy C. Andreasen , Publisher: Oxford University Press; (February 2004), ISBN: 0195167287, (SOFTCOVER)

Schizophrenia Genesis: The Origins of Madness by Irving I. Gottesman, Publisher: W H Freeman & Co.; (November 1990) ISBN: 0716721473

The Broken Brain by Nancy C. Andreasen (Author), Publisher: Perennial; Reprint edition (November 1985) ISBN: 0060912723 (Note: this is an old book -- over 15 years old -- and should only be referenced if the more recent books listed above are not available).

Professional Books on Schizophrenia and Psychiatric Drugs

Psychiatric Genetics and Genomics by Peter McGuffin (Editor), Michael J Owen (Editor), Irving I Gottesman (Editor), Publisher: Oxford University Press; (December 2, 2002), ISBN: 0192631489

Handbook of Psychiatric Drugs, 2004 Edition by Lawrence J., Md Albers, Lawrence J. Albers, Christopher Reist, Rhoda K Hahn, Rhoda K. Hahn, Paperback: 109 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.25 x 6.75 x 4.00, Publisher: Current Clinical Strategies; Revised and Updated edition (April 2003), ISBN: 1929622392

Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with Schizophrenia by American Psychiatric Association, APA, Publisher: Amer Psychiatric Pr; 1st edition (January 15, 1997) ISBN: 0890423091. Developed by experts on schizophrenia and exhaustively reviewed by APA members, the American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Schizophrenia provides therapists with a set of patient care strategies that will aid their clinical decision making. Note: This publication is usually available on-line for free at: http://www.psych.org/clin_res/pg_schizo.cfm

Serious Mental Illness and the Family: The Practitioner's Guide by Diane T. Marsh, Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; 1 edition (October 2, 1998) ISBN: 0471181803

Schizophrenia by Steven R. Hirsch (Editor), Daniel R. Weinberger (Editor), Penny R. Mitchell, Publisher: Blackwell Publishers; 2nd Revision edition (March 2003) ISBN: 0632063882

Comprehensive Care of Schizophrenia by Lieberman, Publisher: Martin Dunitz Ltd; (December 2001) ISBN: 1841841501

Personal Therapy for Schizophrenia and Related Disorders: A Guide to Individualized Treatment by Gerard E. Hogarty, Publisher: Guilford Press; 1st edition (August 15, 2002), ISBN: 157230782X

Social Skills Training for Schizophrenia: A Step-by-Step Guide by Alan S. Bellack (Author), Kim T. Mueser (Author), Susan Gingerich (Author), Julie Agresta (Author), Publisher: Guilford Press; (June 20, 1997)
ISBN: 1572301775

Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders: The New Drug Therapies in Clinical Practice By Peter F. Buckley (Editor), John L. Waddington (Editor), Publisher: Edward Arnold; 1st edition (February 15, 2000) ISBN: 0750640960

Insight and Psychosis by Xavier F. Amador (Editor), Anthony S. David (Editor), David Amador, Publisher: Oxford University Press; (January 1998) ISBN: 0195084977

Distinguishing Psychological From Organic Disorders: Screening for Psychological Masquerade by Robert L., Md. Taylor, Publisher: Springer Pub Co; 2nd edition (July 15, 2000) ISBN: 082611329X

The Schizophrenias: A Biological Approach to the Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (Springer Series on Psychiatry) by Mary Coleman, Christopher Gillberg, Publisher: Springer Pub Co; (September 1996) ASIN: 0826192904

Genetics and Mental Illness: Evolving Issues for Research and Society by Laura Lee Hall (Editor), Publisher: Plenum Pr; (January 1996) ISBN: 0306451662

Treating Schizophrenia (Jossey-Bass Social and Behavioral Science Series) by Werner M. Mendel, Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1st Edition edition (June 1989) ASIN: 1555421512

Schizophrenia - Stories of Tragedy

Susan Sheehan's 1982 book on one person's experience with schizophrenia (schizoaffective subtype) is a very good description of the difficulties encountered with the disease, the challenges facing the family, and the mediocre medical care that families frequently encounter. Dr. E. Fuller Torrey has described it as "searingly accurate and manadatory reading for anyone who wants to understand the tragedy of this disease." In "Tell Me I'm Here" Australian documentary filmmaker Deveson offers a brave and frank account of her son Jonathan's seven-year battle with schizophrenia exacerbated by drug abuse, which ended with his death from a drug overdose at age 24 in 1986. "The Unhinging of Wings" is a collection of 66 poems written by Margo Button about her son, afflicted by schizophrenia, who committed suicide at age 27. The book "The Four of Us..." is an extraordinary account of how severe mental illness can devestate an entire family. Described by reviewers as "beautifully written, brutally honest, and profoundly depressing."

Is There No Place on Earth for Me? by Susan Sheehan, Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks; (May 1983) ISBN: 0394713788

Tell Me I'm Here/One Family's Experience of Schizophrenia by Anne Deveson, Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper); Reprint edition (October 1992) ASIN: 0140173390

The Unhinging of Wings by Margo Button, Publisher: Oolichan Books; (May 1996) ISBN: 0889821623

Four of Us: A Family Memoir by Elizabeth Swados, Publisher: Plume; (April 1993) ASIN: 0452269601

Schizophrenia in Society - Homelessness, poverty and other problems

Books that cover schizophrenia and poverty and homelessness:

The Invisible Plague: The Rise of mental Illness from 1750 to the Present by E. Fuller Torrey, Judy Miller, Publisher: Rutgers University Press; 1st edition (January 10, 2002) ISBN: 0813530032

Out of the Shadows : Confronting America's Mental Illness Crisis by E. Fuller Torrey (Author), Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; 2nd edition (March 1998) ISBN: 0471245321

Madness in the Streets : How Psychiatry and the Law Abandoned the Mentally Ill by Rael Jean Isaac, Virginia C. Armat, Publisher: Treatment Advocacy Center; (August 1, 2000) ISBN: 0967993903

Street Crazy : America's Mental Health Tragedy by Stephen B. Seager, Publisher: Westcom Press; (November 30, 2000) ISBN: 0966582772

Novels/Fictional Books Involving People that have Schizophrenia

Good books for High School Students doing reports on Schizophrenia

 


 

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