Behav. Res. Thu. Vol. 32, No. I, pp. 179-182, 1994 Pergamon Press Ltd. Printed in Great Britain

BOOK REVIEWS

R. HALLAM: Counselling for Anxiety Problems, Sage, London (1992). x + 178 pp. E9.95.

This book is part of the recent series, published by Sage and edited by Windy Dryden, entitled Counselling in Practice. The series aims to offer practical advice to the counsellor or other therapist confronting a variety of common problems. The choice of Richard Hallam to write the book on anxiety is a sign that the series aims at theoretical sophistication as well as practical utility: Hallam is known for his somewhat controversial views on the subject of anxiety, especially his attack on the notion that anxiety can be defined in simple terms as a particular physiological or behavioural response (1985a). Similarly, he has criticized the view that psychiatric diagnoses describe discrete clinical entities (1983). Instead, he describes anxiety as a “multi-referential lay construct” (1985b), suggesting that the word anxiety functions as an umbrella term covering a multitude of different, though related, actions, thoughts and feelings. Similarly, the various anxiety disorders are convenient labels, but they may group together individuals whose maladaptive behaviours are the product of very different causal mechanisms. These notions may seem fanciful, but the current book translates them into practical terms, suggesting that this model can be used as a guide for therapy.

A theme emphasized throughout the book is the variety of ways in which anxiety can manifest itself. Thus, Hallam places great stress on assessing the individual case and attempting to understand its unique complexities. He also stresses the notion of vicious cycles, emphasizing that anxiety problems often originate in the individual’s response to his or her anxiety symptoms, and the way in which maladaptive attempts at coping can turn a relatively minor inconvenience into a crippling disability. He spends a good deal of time describing the many ways in which maladaptive thoughts and behaviours can interact to create the amazingly diverse ways in which anxiety disorders manifest themselves. In discussing treatment, he emphasizes the notion of confrontation, especially as a way of teaching people that they can deal with their specific fear instead of running away from it. This notion suggests that the labelling of anxiety as a pathology may, in many cases, be dangerous to the lay person, turning a fear into a phobia instead of encouraging the sufferer to face and overcome it. Hallam’s book emphasizes the key roles of skilful assessment and good, common sense advice in dealing with anxiety problems. In this it is by no means unique; a number of good manuals on anxiety management have appeared recently (see for example Kennerley, 1990). But it provides a very stimulating mixture of theory and practice, and suggests that a theoretical view that emphasizes the complexity of clinical reality can also provide an excellent basis for clinical practice.

PETER HAYWARD

REFERENCES

Hallam, R. S. (1983). Agoraphobia: Deconstructing a clinical syndrome. Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, 36, 337-340.

Hallam, R. S. (1985a). Anxiety and the brain: A reply to Gray. Bulletin of the British Psychological Sociery, 38, 217-219. Hallam, R. S. (1985b). Anxiety: Psychological perspectives on panic and agoraphobia. London: Academic Press. Kennerley, H. (1990). Managing anxiety: A training manual. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

K. S. CALHOUN and B. M. ATKESON: Treatment of Rape Victims: Facilitating Psychosocial Adjustment, Pergamon Press, New York (1991). viii + 143 pp. E8.50.

“Between 15 and 25% of women are victims of a completed rape at some point in their lives”. Despite this alarming fact, the available literature on treatment of rape is somewhat scattered and inaccessible and many questions remain unanswered. Calhoun and Atkeson have accomplished the Herculean task of reviewing the current state of knowledge, and have presented it in a readable and practical form. As they point out, victims’ problems are not only frequently multiple and complex, but their lives may revolve around accommodating the trauma for so long that a whole layer of secondary problems emerge. Despite the complexity, there are a number of broadly recognizable patterns of reactions which the authors address: fear and anxiety, depression and sexual dysfunction. Guidelines for the treatment of these areas along cognitive and behavioural lines are given, and case histories are supplied in each instance. If 1 do have a minor criticism of the book, it is that these cases seem rather too ideal; it may have been more instructive to include some points of difficulty or failure. Other chapters are devoted to variables which may affect outcome, crisis intervention, assessment of the non-recent victim, and special cases such as male or elderly sufferers. Although the book is written from an American perspective, much of it applies universally. Overall, this deceptively slim volume provides an easy introduction to a complex and underresearched topic. It can be recommended both to students and to mental health professionals at all levels.

ANNE WARD

L. A. CHAMPION and M. J. POWER (Eds): Adult Psychological Problems-An Introduction, The Falmer Press, London (1992). viii + 205 pp. f32.00 Hardback; El 1.95 Paperback.

This attractively produced, slim volume is intended to be an introduction to the main psychological problems of adulthood, theories that attempt to account for them, and the main interventions that have been used to treat them. There are nine chapters by contributors who are both clinically and academically involved in their areas of interest. A general chapter on models is followed by chapters on specific disorders: depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug dependence, eating disorders,

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