Darlene D Pedersen is a psychotherapist and advanced practice psych nurse with an interest in the biological basis of mental disorders as well as psychopharmacology. Earlier clinical training to become a registered nurse was received at Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven Connecticut (University of Connecticut)(RN,BSN) and graduate education in adult and geriatric psychiatric nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving an MSN degree. The fourth edition of PsychNotes, was just awarded first place in the 2013 AJN Book of the Year Award in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing and is now available on Amazon. PsychNotes covers all the changes to the DSM-5, which published in May of 2013. The Disorders tab covers all the changes from the DSM-IV to the DSM-5, providing in one tab a complete overview of all the new disorders and classifications. Also new rating scales have been added to the 4th edition of PsychNotes for depression, anxiety, hoarding, and suicide, increased coverage of the Military, as well as PTSD. Also provides an entire section of updated psychotropics with dosages, adverse effects, geriatric considerations and cautions, an entire assessment tab, interventions, lab information, and much more.A second clinical guide, entitled: Pocket Psych Drugs: Point-of-Care Clinical Guide is also published by FA Davis Company. This guide provides "complete" coverage of over 70 psychotropics as well as practical considerations for the geriatric, pediatric populations as well as substance abuse considerations, clinical assessments, and clinical alerts. Pocket Psych Drugs also includes off-label use, black box warnings, basic psychopharmacology, metabolic syndrome, and other quick-reference information.Hopefully these clinical guides will educate and provide helpful information to students and practitioners alike who care for those with mental illness, stress-related disorders, as well as the seriously mentally ill. Those in primary care (non-psychiatric practioners) are often the first to encounter psychological difficulties that may be assessed and treated by the primary care practitioner or referred to a psychiatric specialist when that expertise is needed. Sometimes a person is simply (or not so simply) dealing with grief, sadness, loss, or dissapointment and in many instances we are dealing with the "human condition." But ultimately the purpose for writing these clinical guides is to hopefully affect someone/s in a positive way through those who may have gained knowledge/information from reading these guides. It is through these "ripple effects" we help others change or improve the quality of someone's life, even if we are never to know the specifics or that person. But in some small way, through imparting knowledge or through action and words, we will have left this a better place....DDP