Devouring a great book is, without a doubt, an experience that can mark us for the rest of our lives , because there are texts that give us great knowledge as well as entertaining us.

Obviously there are works that contain more commercial value than anything else, but there are volumes that enrich our experience as human beings and influence thousands of people through their incalculable usefulness.

The Best Books in Psychiatry and Mental Health

Aware of this, we have dedicated our time to produce a list of the best books on psychiatry for mental health professionals. If you are a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist you can enjoy these texts and, at the same time, learn about your profession. Don’t miss them!

1. Personality Disorders in Modern Life (Theodore Milton and Roger Davis)

A fascinating text that was published in 2001. “Personality Disorders in Modern Life” is a very well written book that treats personality disorders from a current perspective. It covers different psychopathologies such as antisocial disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), histrionic personality disorder, narcissism, schizoid disorder or paranoid disorder.

The author treats mental problems from different perspectives: biological, interpersonal or cognitive, among others.

  • You can buy the book here.

2. Practical Manual of Forensic Psychiatry (J. Checa González)

This work is a reference manual for both legal medicine and psychiatry professionals . It is a quick guide for consultation and information on any subject related to this discipline, and, as a complement, this book offers access to an online platform where it is possible to find 15 clinical cases, as well as a battery of about 100 self-evaluation questions and various models of forensic reports and clinical records.

The website that this work offers is an interactive space for discussion and knowledge exchange among all readers of the work that ensures the updating of the contents in forensic psychiatry material.

  • You can purchase it through this link.

3. Anatomy of an Epidemic (Robert Whitaker)

“Anatomy of an Epidemic” is a very interesting book. The author wonders. Why has the number of mentally ill people in the United States tripled in the last two decades? Sometimes Whitaker appears as an anti-psychiatrist, criticizing some practices that are carried out in this discipline. To be a good professional in this field it is necessary to read and understand the controversy that can exist around psychiatry.

For example, whether or not the use of psychotropic drugs is excessive. Dare you go into these pages and reflect deeply?

  • More information and purchase option in this link.

4. The Trouble Psychiatry (Daniel Carlat)

The book “Unhinged: The Trouble Psychiatry” by Daniel Carlat addresses various controversial issues in the field of psychiatry . For example, the use of DSM, the excessive dependence on psychotropic drugs, and how the power of the pharmaceutical industry influences the use of psychoactive substances in psychiatric practice.

It is a short but fascinating book, because it brings to light the various issues that have generated debate in recent years and also offers creative solutions to these problems. It is only available in English.

  • All the information here.

5. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V)

The DSM is also known as the “bible of psychiatry” , and is the most widely accepted classification tool for mental disorders, both for clinical diagnosis and for research and teaching in this field. It is used in clinical and psychiatric settings, but this guide must be accompanied by clinical judgment in addition to the professional knowledge and ethical criteria necessary for good professional practice.

In short, the DSM provides a common language among the various mental health professionals (psychiatrists and clinical psychologists) involved in the treatment of mental disorders and helps ensure an accurate and consistent diagnosis.

  • You can easily buy it at this link.

6. The psychiatric interview in clinical practice (Roger Mackinnon)

The clinical interview in psychiatry is a qualitative information collection technique in which the therapist or psychiatrist and his/her patient (if applicable, also the relatives) participate, and is the main instrument in psychiatric practice , because unlike, for example, the medical interview, which is usually the introduction before the physical examination or complementary tests, the clinical interview in psychiatry is essential for the establishment of an adequate interpersonal relationship, which will favour the obtaining of reliable information and will allow the establishment of a correct diagnosis.

Likewise, the psychotherapeutic intervention is carried out within the framework of the clinical interview, either offering psychological or psychopharmacological therapy. The manual “The Clinical Interview” by Ekkehard and Sieglinde Othmer is, without a doubt, a great text that will provide you with knowledge about this practice and will facilitate your learning with good examples presented in a clear and detailed manner.

  • You can buy it here.

7. Are we all mentally ill? (Allen Frances)

The author of this book, Allen Frances, was one of the developers of the latest editions of the DSM Handbook. In his work, he reviews the history of DSM (and his participation in its development) and critically analyzes some aspects of DSM-V. He discusses the criteria that decide what is normal and what is pathological and reviews some disorders that were fashionable in the past (e.g., borderline personality disorder), as well as giving his opinion on the different psychopathological approaches of the present such as autism spectrum disorder.

It is an interesting text written in a pleasant language. Especially thought for those who want a first contact with the world of psychiatry.

  • Buy it here.

Treat the mind or treat the brain? Towards an integration between psychotherapies and psychopharmaceuticals (Julio Sanjuán)

If you are looking for an introductory book on psychiatry , you can’t miss “Treating the Mind or Treating the Brain? Towards an integration between psychotherapies and psychopharmaceuticals”. Written in an enjoyable but rigorous and up-to-date way, it is a 350-page text that is easy to read. Therefore, if you are interested in this discipline, you should add it to your list of musts.

Are you more interested in getting into psychology than psychiatry? Then I recommend the book “Psychologically Speaking”. You can buy it at this link.

  • Buy Julio Sanjuan’s work here.

9. Atypical or transitory psychoses from epistemology to treatment (Luis Jesús Fernández, Germán Berrios and Blanca Yániz)

Psychotic disorders are serious mental pathologies in which the person loses contact with reality. The most characteristic symptoms are hallucinations and delusions. Their treatment combines psychotherapy with the administration of antipsychotic drugs.

  • You may be interested in: “The 8 Types of Psychotic Disorders”

This text collects the results of the first edition of the course on atypical or transitory psychoses that took place at the UNED, and provides very valuable knowledge for professionals in psychiatry and mental health.

  • You can get it here.

10. Memory disorders in psychiatric practice (German E. Barrios and John R. Hodges)

A suggestive and referential text in clinical practice related to memory disorders. In the first chapters, the book reviews the historical and neurobiological foundations of memory and, in general, provides an interesting contribution for both psychiatry and neuropsychology professionals.

  • Recommended text: “Types of memory: how does the human brain store memories?”

Although for many the problem of memory is the exclusive competence of neuropsychologists, this text is a psychiatric approach to different pathologies associated with memory. You will surely be surprised!