This book is a study of schizophrenia in a modern psychiatric hospital. Its purpose is to develop a contextual understanding of schizophrenia by studying the clinical setting in which this disorder is experienced, diagnosed and treated, and it arises from an anthropological investigation of the day-to-day work of clinical staff. The author offers a penetrating analysis of the language used by hospital staff as they write and talk about their patients, and traces the evolution of the concept of schizophrenia, showing how contemporary theoretical constructs are applied by clinical staff. In its...

This book provides a comprehensive overview of current understanding about the provision of emergency mental health services in an era of community orientated care. Major research findings and theoretical models which will shape future services are described and illustrated by detailed descriptions of successes both from Europe and North America. A multidisciplinary team of contributors detail the full range of community based schemes including acute respite care, home based care, day hospitals and family placements, as well as the use of accident and emergency departments and acute...

As homelessness becomes an increasingly serious issue, the mental health of homeless people is beginning to appear on the agendas of politicians and policy makers, as well as health care workers. In contrast to the popular "Skid Row" stereotype that the word "homeless" tends to trigger, many are in fact families and young single people. The health needs of these different kinds of people are, of course, varied. This volume brings together the experiences of mental health teams from around the world in addressing the problems of mental illness in the homeless. The difficulties in assessment...

This book collates and analyzes the information currently available on social support as it impacts on mental health. The international team of contributors covers a whole range of perspectives on mental illness, from biological mechanisms to psychological and social theory. The book begins with an overview of the latest published evidence and a description of the nature and origins of social support, which is followed by evidence from observational studies and specific interventions and trials. The text concludes with a summary that will act as a valuable resource to practitioners in their...

This book provides a comprehensive overview of current understanding about the provision of emergency mental health services in an era of community orientated care. It describes major research findings and theoretical models that will shape future services and illustrates successful services from both Europe and North America. A multidisciplinary team of contributors details the full range of community based services, including acute respite care, home based care, day hospitals, and family placement schemes, as well as the use of accident and emergency departments and acute in-patient wards....

With the emerging international consensus toward community care of the mentally ill, there comes a growing need for meaningful evaluation of services. Redressing the current lack of guidance this book describes how to do mental health service research. Contributors comprehensively review the most recent developments in research design, method and measurement at the level of both whole service systems and individual programs within mental health services. Practical descriptions of comprehensive evaluation projects illustrate each issue and many chapters examine important earlier advances in...