Product Description

Social Perspectives in Mental Health offers new practice frameworks that help to make sense of people's mental distress and recovery in relation to their social experience. This interdisciplinary volume promotes a holistic approach to mental health practice, with an emphasis on recovery and empowerment, and on building on the experiences of service users. The contributors explore the impact of social factors, such as power, abuse, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, on the causes and experiences of mental health problems. It is also considered how concepts such as risk and recovery can be understood from a social perspective. Drawing on expertise from a wide range of academic, policy and practice settings as well as lived experience, this book is essential reading for practitioners, students and educators in the fields of mental health and social work.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #67754 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

About the Author
Jerry Tew is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Central England and has substantial practitioner experience as an approved social worker. He is a member of the executive of the Social Perspectives Network and is the coordinator of its research subgroup. Jerry is also the social work advisor for the interdisciplinary Mental Health in Higher Education Project and the author of Social Theory, Power and Practice.

Customer Reviews

A social perspective
This is a very thought provoking book which focuses on the social model of mental health - which locates many of the difficulties faced by people with mental health issues in wider society (i.e stigma, isolation) as opposed to the medical model which tends to locate blame and fault within the individual.
Chapter 4 gives an insightful account of different forms that power can take - protective, co-operative, oppressive and collusive and considers the disadvantaged position of people with mental health issues in relation to various forms of power. It is very useful reading for professionals in powerful positions...no...its essential. Chapter 6, for those more interested in the dynamics of trauma, and its impact is also illuminating. Although i have picked out these 2 chapters as being particularly good, overall the whole book in well considered and very interesting.

The book is edited by Tew (fab writer!)and is written in a way that allows the reader to dip in and out, as opposed to having to start at page 1. Its easy and practical to use, especially if you are studying in an area related to mental health.