Abstract

This popular and accessible introduction to mental health is written for students, mental health practitioners and non-qualified professionals.

Fully revised, this second edition is up to date with the latest knowledge on mental health conditions, good practice and the law. The authors explain key concepts in easily understandable language, accessible even to those with no prior knowledge of the subject. They detail the major mental health disorders, the issues surrounding them, and provide detailed information on:

* treatment and support
* risk assessment and management
* mental illness and the Criminal Justice System
* the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act

Featuring case studies and exercises to assist learning, this is an invaluable resource for anyone working with people who are experiencing mental illness, including students and professionals in health and social care, housing and criminal justice.

This is an engaging book which is well written, concepts and terms are not only clearly explained but the context in which they sit is covered. This helps the reader to gain an understanding of how the key mental health issues such as schizophrenia have evolved and how they are influenced by not only health but politics, culture and the media.

The use of case notes aids the reader to relate the main chapter material to practice, this will be of benefit to students and those who are curious about how to apply the principles outlined in the preceding chapter.

The authors offer a well rounded view of mental health as they acknowledge the medical and social contribution to understanding how problems originate and the potential for recovery.

Overall this is a comprehensive guide to contemporary mental health, covering origins, assessment, intervention and how to promote recovery. This book should prove to be a useful guide for those who are new to the health and social care field, as a reference for the more experienced or those who are curious and want to understand more about mental health.

Ian Hamilton, Lecturer in Mental Health, University of York

Caroline Kinsella has been a registered nurse since 1980 and has specialised in working with offenders and individuals with severe mental health problems. She has a Master's degree in Forensic Mental Health from St Georges Hospital Medical School and is currently working with the Dorset Inreach Team as a mental health nurse assessing and care co-ordinating the needs of offenders in several Dorset prisons. Both Connor and Caroline live in Dorset, UK.
Connor Kinsella trained as a mental health nurse and has considerable experience of working with mentally ill people in both in-patient and community environments. Since 1998 he has designed and facilitated training for a wide range of services in health and social care. He writes a well-regarded blog called Spotlight on Social Care and has contributed to The Guardian's Social Care Network.

It is an easy-to-read and jargon-free introduction, revised an updated, reflecting the latest knowledge on mental health conditions, good practice and the law.
Ministry Today, Sep 2015
This second edition provides an up-to-date and comprehensive introduction to mental health with detailed case studies to illustrate the complexities of mental health work. It will prove an invaluable resource for students of mental health and related disciplines.
Dr Ken McLaughlin, Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Care and Social Work, Manchester Metropolitan University
This is a very well structured text that covers a wide range of key and important topics that will inform those who are working in/supporting individuals with a mental health problem. I feel that this would be a very useful resource and base text for both students and practitioners for quick and easy reference. The topics are presented in an easy to understand way and are very good at providing an introduction to policy, legislation and mental health conditions. There is good use of references for readers to follow up. There is really good application of the theory, discussed within chapters, to practice by case scenarios/examples. I would recommend this book as an essential read for those starting a career in mental health or wanting to find out more information in respect of this area.
Dr Neil James, Senior Lecturer, Unit for Development in Intellectual Disability, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales