Psychological Medicine in Family Practice
by A. R. K. Mitchell Bailli&re, Tindall ?1.80 Dr Mitchell has written a very comprehensive book in which he covers a wide range of human behaviour as it is seen by the general practitioner.
Both his approach and manner are refreshing, with chapter titles like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’, ‘The Baby Blues’, ‘The Housebound Housewife’, and ‘The Anatomie of Melancholie’.
The author tackles each subject very broadly, drawing on sociology, physiology, anthropology, and so on. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that so broad an approach to so wide a range of material, is more often entertaining than penetrating. For the interested and intelligent layman, the book is a mine of information, pleasantly set out. For the medical student it might be classified as useful, light reading. It is, however, directed primarily to the general practitioner, and it was as a general practitioner that I found it rather disappointing. In looking at the basis of human behaviour in physiology, psychology and sociology, the author has chosen to give explanations at the most elementary and simplistic level ? adequate for an article in a Sunday supplement, but quite unsuitable for the intended readership.
It was also surprising that a book on this subject should have so little about the considerable amount of research and theory which has already been done: a whole literature on psychological medicine in general practice which was initiated by the late Michael Balint and his co-workers; the classical description of depression in general practice by Watts.
In his preface Dr Mitchell tells us that his book is based on a series of tape-recorded talks (made for the Medicai Recording Service of the Royal College of General Practitioners). Although this series of tapes has proved enormously popular, I feel that its translation into book form has resulted in a very repetitious formula and an uncomfortable style. Dr Mitchell defends his colloquial style on the grounds that it is easy to read. I must say that I found some of his observations insufferably oversimplified: ‘Not all young people are bad; many of them are idealistic and want to set this world of ours aright.’
Despite these blemishes, Dr. Mitchell deals with each of his topics humanely and with an open mind. Any book on the subject of psychological medicine which has these qualities deserves to be read.
Marshall Marinker
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