Interpersonal foundations of psychopathology

"Interpersonal Foundations of Psychopathology proposes that psychopathology is closely connected to interpersonal processes - that to treat these disorders, one must first examine a patient's interpersonal relations. It examines findings from developmental, social, and personality psychology and unifies those findings into an interpersonal approach to psychopathology. This approach is integrative; like the cognitive-behavioral approach, it emphasizes objectively observable behavior, and like the psychodynamic approach, it concerns interpersonal motivation, conflict, and defense in explaining behavior, cognitions, and feelings. In addition, the interpersonal approach incorporates the humanistic emphasis on the self, relationships, communication, empathy, and support. Using this perspective, the author demonstrates how communal and agentic motivations are interpreted through different theories as the sources of Axis I and Axis II disorders." "This book illustrates the importance of considering the social basis of many disorders and, in doing so, exposes interpersonal subtleties that are required in treatment. It will be an illuminating resource for students of clinical psychology as well as professional psychologists and researchers. Readers will be richly rewarded with a fuller understanding of how interpersonal reactions can clarify patterns in personality, emotion, and psychopathology."--Jacket.