S. Nassir Ghaemi

The Concepts of Psychiatry: A Pluralistic Approach to the Mind and Mental Illness
(Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003)
A new (more affordable) paperback addition is now available! I apply psychiatric phenomena to philosophy, and philosophical concepts to psychiatry. My main thesis is that psychiatry is adrift without a cogent theory: the biopsychosocial model, an unprincipled eclecticism, has failed. Based on the work of Karl Jaspers and American pragmatic philosophy, I propose a better alternative: the pluralist model.

Bipolar Depression
(Washington DC: American Psychiatric Publishing Inc., 2006)
Co-edited with Rif El-Mallakh from the University of Louisville, this books provides up-to-date scholarly articles about bipolar depression written by leaders in the field. My contributions are mainly in the chapters on diagnosis and use of antidepressants.

Mood Disorders: A Practical Guide
(Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins, 2003)
Second edition is completed and can be pre-ordered now! This small handbook represents my basic clinical perspectives on the diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders. It includes summaries of the medications used for these conditions. It is meant for mental health professionals, trainees, and persons with psychiatric conditions and their families. Includes updates on the most recent major studies (STEP, STARD, CATIE).

Polypharmacy in Psychiatry
(New York: Marcel Dekker Inc., 2002)
This is the only book-length treatment of this topic. I provide extensive historical and conceptual background to the problem of polypharmacy in psychiatric treatment. Specific chapters by experts on various conditions also assess the pros and cons of polypharmacy for those conditions.