This brief, inexpensive essentials paperback offers students an engaging, innovative systems approach by integrating the biological, psychological and social perspectives in an interesting and concurrent story. Research methods are mainstreamed throughout the text in a student-friendly manner. *Features detailed case studies and briefer cases to illustrate interesting clinical issues throughout chapters to engage and motivate students *Offers a 'systems' (biopsychosocial) approach - Integrates psychological, biological and social influences to explain the causes of maladaptive behaviour *Uses current research to demonstrate to students that biological, psychological or social factors alone are less likely to bring about maladaptive behaviors. Rather, factors from all three play a role in the manifestation of abnormal behaviours *Integrates treatments into each chapter to shows students the relationship between disorder and treatment instead of clustering all treatments at the end of the book *Provides a unique presentation of research methods to make the material come alive for students - Includes Research Methods and Research Close-Up boxes in many chapters.