Book Reviews

Depression and Anxiety, The Johns Hopkins White Papers 2002, Margolis, Simeon, M.D., PhD, and Swartz, Karen L., M.D. New York: Medletter Associates, 2002. (Paperback, 72 pages, $19.99)

The Depression and Anxiety 2002 White Paper, like others in the Johns Hopkins White Paper series, is geared to audiences who want authoritative current information about a particular illness. The publication of a new edition each year allows for the inclusion of a significant amount of new material. The new material supplements the comprehensive text about the illnesses, which remains basically the same from year to year. The result is a publication that provides both comprehensive and up-to-date information about depression and anxiety.

The main text provides extensive information about 10 types of depression and anxiety and a wide range of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments. This material is well organized and detailed. One significant gap, however, is the failure to emphasize the absolute importance of obtaining a correct diagnosis before initiating treatment. In the section about mental health professionals, the word “diagnosis” appears only in a brief paragraph about the role of the primary care physician.

Information that is new for this edition appears in easily identified columns and boxes throughout the publication. This 2002 White Paper includes 14 columns headed “New Research,”each summarizing a journal article published in 2000 or 2001. This feature serves readers who want to keep up on the latest research, even when a single study is not conclusive in itself. This year’s research columns include studies showing that sertraline (Zoloft) is effective for panic disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); St. John’s wort is ineffective for major depression; depression and anxiety increase the risk of heart disease; and antidepressants can cause psychosis or mania.

Additional new material about specific subjects (which change each year) is presented in short, boxed articles. In contrast to the more formal style of the main text, some of these articles are written in a more pro-active, magazine style, addressing the reader as “you” and including lists of do’s and don’ts. Articles this year include “Exercise: A Treatment for Depression and Anxiety”; Evaluating Mental Health Information on the Internet”; “Serotonin Syndrome”; and “When Does Grief Become Depression?” This year’s edition includes a helpful glossary.

The great strength of the Depression and Anxiety White Paper 2002 is that within a very limited space, it presents a wealth of up-to-date information about depression and anxiety in a straightforward and factual manner.

By Delphine Peck

This and other Johns Hopkins White Paper titles may be ordered by writing to:
The Johns Hopkins White Papers
P.O. BOX 420083
Palm Coast, FL 32142-9264
Further information is available from www.HopkinsAfter50.com.

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