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It has been said that those who do not heed the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it. Clearly, this is the thread that runs through Psychopathology and Differential Diagnosis: A Primer, the first of two volumes that aim to review the development of our conceptualization of psychopathology within a historical perspective. In principle, this is a noble and worthy undertaking and one that is well worth pursuing. In practicality however, the overwhelming scope of material and rhetorical style in which it is presented leaves the reader wondering whether the lessons from the past have, in fact, been given due consideration.
The information explosion of the past 10 years, particularly psychiatric nomenclature, has made it increasingly difficult for the clinician and researcher to maintain a broad perspective on the evolution of psychiatric disorders. The recent success of the Essential Papers series (New York University Press) attests to the psychiatric community's need for reflection and assimilation of the plethora of new writings while maintaining a framework of continuity. The present volume is devoted to the history of psychopathology. The range of topics range from the ancient Greeks to the self psychology of Heinz Kohut. Throughout the book, the authors frame this evolving development around the leitmotif of conflict between two competing viewpoints on the origin of psychopathology; the organic versus the intrapsychic and interpersonal. This dichotomy regarding the locus of etiology of psychological distress thus serves as an organizer from which, the authors suggest, phases of development can best be understood.