For most of us, the term 'recovery' in mental health implies hope and normality for those suffering from emotional distress. It is understandable why recovery has therefore become a significant goal for mental health services.
But what does recovery mean for those who are struggling to see it through? Is the emphasis on recovery always a positive thing? This book takes a critical sociologicallook atpersonal and public assumptions and understandings. In particular:
It explores what the recovery movement signifies today, offering readers a critical, reflexive view of its scientific,...

All of us will need to trust the healthcare system as well as individual healthcare workers at some point. But why do we trust 'professionals'? Is it unconditional? As practitioners, do we realise the legal, ethical and professional issues intertwined with 'being trusted'? Read this book for an absorbing discussion of trust.

The emergence of Thatcherism around 1980, which ushered in a period of neo-liberalism in British politics that still resonates today, led musicians, like other artists, to respond to their context of production. This book uses the early work of one of these musicians, Elvis Costello, to explore the relationship between popular music and politics in one historical period. It is not a biography but an exploration of the interaction between a creative musician's works and their context of constraint and opportunity. Pilgrim and Ormrod unpack the political meaning of Thatcherism and deal with...

David Pilgrim PhD is Professor of Health & Social Policy in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology at the University of Liverpool.