Eight years has passed since the first edition of The Handbook of Psychiatry in Palliative Medicine was published. In that time, psychiatric (or psychosocial) palliative care has evolved; the net effect on palliative medicine has been transformative. Palliation that neglects psychosocial dimensions of patient and family experience, de facto, fails to meet contemporary standards of comprehensive palliative care. While a focus on somatic issues has sometimes overshadowed attention to psychological, existential, and spiritual end-of-life challenges, the past decade has seen an all encompassing, multi-disciplinary approach to care for the dying beginning to take hold.

The first comprehensive textbook of psychiatric palliative care, this new edition has been fully updated, reorganized and expanded to include eleven new chapters. Written by 67 internationally known psychiatry and palliative care experts, the book is truly an essential reference for all providers of palliative care including psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health counselors, oncologists, hsopice workers and social workers. Each chapter has been updated to address new therapeutic modalities and approaches as well as new research trends and opportunities for each topic.