Presenting simple and cost-effective solutions for maintaining and improving mealtime abilities, this book discusses the practical aspects of eating and drinking as part of person-centred dementia care. Due to cognitive decline, changes in mealtime abilities can lead to malnutrition and related issues for people with dementia, alongside feelings of powerlessness and isolation. This research-informed book explains how to make the most of mealtimes for increased nutritional intake, socialising, and food enjoyment, in a range of care settings. The book covers topics such as the physical act of eating and drinking, creating a comfortable and friendly dining environment, using appropriate tableware, and dealing with common issues such as problems with swallowing and choking.

In this groundbreaking book, Jill Harshaw explores the spiritual experiences of people with profound intellectual disabilities with regard to their capacity to enjoy life-giving spiritual experiences in their own right. The author expertly argues that our thinking of spiritual life needs to start not with our assumptions about people who are unable to speak for themselves, but with what we can know about God. Stimulating a much-needed discussion, this book explains why we need to respect individuals with profound intellectual disabilities as spiritual persons, and stop seeing them simply as care-receivers or uncomfortable reminders of human vulnerability. Calling for a more critical approach in practical theology, this book invites a deeper, genuinely inter-disciplinary dialogue between new and traditional theological fields, and asks why, after more than 30 years of intellectual disability theology, the impact on church life remains minimal so that debates around the right to basic inclusion continue to dominate. The questions raised in this book not only move the discussion forward, but will spark a change on how the Church approaches inclusiveness.

Schizophrenia and Psychotic Spectrum Disorders aims to engage young caregivers in psychiatry, psychology, nursing and social work so that they will be able to become well informed about this significant-and at times confusing-illness. Because schizophrenia is considered to be one of the most complicated and severe psychiatric disorders, this book has the goal of summarizing key issues of the illness, such as its presentation, frequency and age of onset, and diagnostic characteristics. It also contains informative chapters about the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, ranging from brain development issues, genetics, and likely abnormalities in neurotransmitters. This book will give young professionals and those joining the field an excellent and accessible background to treatment. In this area, Schizophrenia and Psychotic Spectrum Disorders provides a comprehensive approach to diagnosis, treatment initiation, strategies for non-response, approaches of therapy, and importantly, ways to provide family therapy and support.

Advocating for dementia for 20 years, Christine Bryden has been instrumental in ensuring that people with dementia are included in discussions about the condition and how to manage and think about it. This collection of her hard-hitting and inspiring insider presentations demands 'nothing about us, without us!' and promotes self-advocacy and self-reflection. Provocative and insightful, the pieces included in the book address issues that demand attention, and will change the way dementia is perceived, and the lives of people with dementia and their families.

Social support is the everyday assistance offered by family, friends, neighbours and colleagues, as well as the foundations of support in a range of non-clinical settings, and plays a vital role in a person's mental health and wellbeing. This book examines the nature of social support and offers a practical approach to how it can be enhanced. Focusing on the relationships between service users and supporters , it examines service users' experiences of issues of identity, stigma, social exclusion and social networks. Individual chapters look in depth at how social support is enacted in close relationships, educational institutions and in the world of employment. The nature of 'community' is explored with particular reference to how service users can be supported into greater engagement with social networks. Demonstrating the importance of social perspectives on mental health, this book is essential reading for practitioners, students and educators in mental health, social and community work, community mental health nursing and occupational therapy.

Mental health practices and programs around the world face growing criticism from policymakers, consumers, and service providers for being ineffective, overly reliant on treatment by professionals, and overly focused on symptoms. Many have called for new paradigms of mental health and new practices that can better support recovery, community integration, and adaptive functioning for persons diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities. While there has recently been much discourse about transformation and recovery, there has yet to be a critical and systematic review that unpacks the concept of mental health systems transformation or that examines strategies for how to create transformative change in mental health.
Community Psychology and Community Mental Health provides empirical justification and a conceptual foundation for transformative change in mental health, based on community psychology values and principles of ecology, collaboration, empowerment, and social justice. Chapters provide strategies for making changes at the level of society, policy, organizations, community settings, and mental health practices. The editors and authors draw from experience in different countries in recognition of the need to tailor change strategies to different contexts. The common experiences of the international perspectives represented underscore the importance and the need for a new paradigm while demonstrating that there are many alternatives and opportunities for pursuing transformative change. This book will be of interest to community mental health professionals, researchers, and students, as well as policymakers, administrators, and those with lived experience of mental health issues.

Researching child and adolescent mental health can be a daunting task, but with the right practical skills and knowledge your students can transform the way they work with children and young people, giving them a 'voice' through their research in the wider community.

Michelle O'Reilly and Nikki Parker combine their clinical, academic and research expertise to take your students step-by-step through each stage of the research process. From first inception to data collection and dissemination, they'll guide them through the key issues faced when undertaking their research, highlighting the dilemmas, challenges and debates, and exploring the important questions asked when doing research with this population.

Providing practical advice and strategies for dealing with the reality of conducting research in practice, this book will;

- Provide your students with an overview of the theories that underpin methodological choice and the value of using qualitative research.

- Guide them through the planning stage of your project, clearly outlining important ethical and legal issues.

- Take them through the most popular qualitative data collection techniques and support them with their analysis.

- Help them write up their findings and demonstrate how research evidence translates into effective clinical practice.

Supported by helpful hints and tips, case examples and definitions of key terms, this highly practical and accessible guide throws a lifebelt to any students or mental health practitioner learning about the research process for the first time.

The assessment and treatment of mental health concerns for Deaf individuals has been largely ignored and/or misunderstood by many mental health professionals. In Mental Health and Deafness, Margaret du Feu and Cathy Chovaz seek to rectify this by outlining current issues surrounding mental health and deafness. The book provides valuable information to professionals interested in expanding their knowledge of mental health and deafness, and the authors share their extensive clinical experience with the reader through a variety of case studies. The authors primarily focus on individuals who were born deaf or deafened early in life, but also describe the mental health aspects of acquired deafness and individuals with both deafness and blindness. Mental Health and Deafness begins by describing the historical and social context of deafness, and follows the life journey of a Deaf individual, focusing on parental reactions, language acquisition, and mental health disorders of children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. Chapters cover relevant issues regarding assessment, treatment, and forensic and legal issues. The book concludes with an overview of service development.

Social workers and other professionals working in the area of mental health often face complex and difficult practice dilemmas shaped by increasingly demanding policy and legal contexts across the UK. Jim Campbell and Gavin Davidson focus on the post-qualifying role played by mental health social workers in this book. The authors draw on theoretical and research perspectives on the subject, before outlining how professionals can achieve best practice. Topics covered include: " Models of mental health and illness " Discrimination and social exclusion " Addressing service user needs " Carer perspectives " Working with individuals, families and communities The chapters are accompanied by exercises, which encourage readers to critically reflect on their own professional and personal experiences. Case studies are also included, so that students can reappraise the knowledge they have learned in the text. The book will be essential reading for social work practitioners taking postgraduate courses in mental health and for those training to become Approved Mental Health Professionals.

This reflective and evidence-based book will equip students as well as professionals who work with people with learning disabilities in primary, secondary and specialist healthcare settings, with the knowledge and skills they need to work effectively with people with learning disabilities. Chapters - written by leading academics and practitioners in the learning disabilities field - examine and discuss core issues, while a case-study approach ensures a solid grounding in practical skills. This practical element is further reinforced by the inclusion of service-user and practitioner 'voices', whose lived experiences make the book even more engaging, as well as a range of reflective exercises and regular opportunities for readers to self-audit their learning. Reflecting the multi-professional nature of services for people with learning disabilities, this book will help practitioners and students make a real difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities who access health and social care environments.

Mental health services tend to view and treat mental health problems in an individual-centric way. This book argues for an alternative route to recovery that is cognizant of our social nature, needs and difficulties. Focusing on the therapeutic value of meeting others with similar experiences, it explores how mutual support can help ease the distress of mental health problems and foster emotional and psychological wellbeing. The author provides an overview of the theory, history and processes of mutual support, including how it can be understood from a developmental perspective and its importance in normalising and validating experiences and lessening feelings of isolation. She provides in-depth summaries of various approaches that harness mutual support including group therapy and therapeutic communities. Clear guidance is given on how to access, set up and facilitate mutual support groups, along with detailed information on services and organisations that utilise mutual support in the UK and beyond. This book will provide both mental health professionals and those experiencing mental health difficulties with essential information on mutual support, and the positive impact it can have on people's lives.

*Highly Commended in the Psychiatry Category of the 2011 BMA Book Awards* Working with Suicidal Individuals provides a comprehensive guide to understanding suicide, the assessment of risk, and the treatment and management of suicidal individuals. It begins by covering the theory behind suicidal behaviour, using Transactional Analysis to explore the personality types of suicidal individuals and to understand their motivations. Factors that contribute to an individual becoming suicidal, such as mental illness, are also explored. A comprehensive system for the assessment of suicide risk is provided, including both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Finally, the author discusses different ways suicidal and pseudo-suicidal individuals can be managed and treated, including the 'no suicide contract' and redecision therapy. Case studies are included throughout to demonstrate the theory and practice. This book will be essential reading for all those working with a suicidal or at-risk individual, including practitioners in health, social work, psychotherapy, psychology and counselling.

Veronica Burton's first experience of depression came as a teenager. Following a ten year remission, during which she gained her general nursing qualification and completed her Special and Intensive Nursing of the Newborn course, work-related events precipitated a depressive relapse that has lasted to the present day. Since her retirement on medical grounds, she has campaigned against prejudice by nurses toward other nurses - including mental health nurses - who need psychological support of any kind. This book recounts the author's experiences of major depression, hospital admissions and treatments including medication, ECT and 'talking treatments'. It discusses the care given by medical and nursing staff and social and medical prejudices against those with psychiatric illnesses from a medical practitioner's perspective. Like stumbling on a secret room in a familiar building. In illuminating these previously inaccessible corners of her illness experience, she forces me to challenge my own taken-for-granted version of her history. Familiar territory seen from another perspective suddenly seems perturbing. As psychiatrists, too often we are drawn into seeing people through a lens of illness, as if this was their only identity.A" Veronica Burton's Psychiatrist Nick Rose in his Postscript

Hundreds of thousands of the inmates who populate the nation's jails and prison systems today are identified as mentally ill. Many experts point to the deinstitutionalization of mental hospitals in the 1960s, which led to more patients living on their own, as the reason for this high rate of incarceration. But this explanation does not justify why our society has chosen to treat these people with punitive measures.In ""Crime, Punishment, and Mental Illness"", Patricia E. Erickson and Steven K. Erickson explore how societal beliefs about free will and moral responsibility have shaped current policies and they identify the differences among the goals, ethos, and actions of the legal and health care systems. Drawing on high-profile cases, the authors provide a critical analysis of topics, including legal standards for competency, insanity versus mental illness, sex offenders, psychologically disturbed juveniles, the injury and death rates of mentally ill prisoners due to the inappropriate use of force, the high level of suicide, and the release of mentally ill individuals from jails and prisons who have received little or no treatment.

Problem-solving courts provide judicially supervised treatment for behavioral health needs commonly found among criminal offenders, including substance abuse and mental health disorders, and they treat a variety of offender populations. These courts employ a team-based approach consisting of a judge, defense attorney, prosecutor, and treatment providers, representing a significant paradigm shift in how the justice system treats offenders with special needs. Despite the proliferation of problem-solving courts, there remains some uncertainty about how they function, how effective they are, and the most promising ways to implement problem-solving justice. Problem-Solving Courts and the Criminal Justice System provides a comprehensive foundation of knowledge related to problem-solving courts and the role they play in the United States criminal justice system. The book begins with an overview that explores precipitating factors in these courts' development, relevant political influence, and their history, purposes, benefits, and drawbacks, followed by a detailed discussion of specific types of problem solving courts, including drug courts, mental health courts, and veterans courts, among many others. Next a review of the legal and ethical considerations of alternative methods to standard prosecution is complemented by an examination of the methodological challenges faced by researchers when attempting to study the effectiveness of problem-solving courts. The book concludes with a discussion of future directions in terms of research, practice, and policy relating to these courts in the United States. Problem-Solving Courts and the Criminal Justice System is appropriate for professionals, researchers, and students in the fields of mental health, criminal justice, and law.

Patients in psychiatric care can behave in ways that can be alarming for staff, and difficult to respond to. The authors of this practical and imaginative book explain why patients may behave in these ways, and offer a toolkit of ways to respond effectively and kindly. With many everyday examples of how to keep the space positive and safe, and patients calm, this book could transform your working life.

Research has established the potential direct and indirect impacts of mental illness on parenting, the parent-child relationship, and the child, and the extent to which this poses a public health challenge. Problems with how adult and children's services understand and deliver support to parents with mental health problems and their children have also been identified. In contrast, far less is known about how parents with mental health difficulties and their children can be supported successfully. The primary aim of Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare Work Volume 1: A Pavilion Annual 2016 is to begin to address this gap in research by capturing different perspectives (policy, research, professional and family) about what constitutes success and the contributions that lead to success. The annual will, share this information, tools and resources, in ways that are accessible, useful, and usable by, the broad range of professional groups involved in this complex area of practice. Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare Work Volume 1: A Pavilion Annual 2016 forms the first volume of Pavilion's new Annual series, which act as a yearly update on key research, policy developments and practice innovations, in the UK and elsewhere.

While mental health is a core subject on the social work curriculum, many students find the breadth of the subject difficult to grasp. There is much to understand from law, policy and legislation, to ethical and value-based considerations. This book is written as an introduction to the complex issues around mental health. Law and policy are outlined whilst the author gives space to ethical considerations when working alongside the most vulnerable in society. There are clear links between policy, legislation and social work practice and learning features mean students can begin to think critically about a variety of mental health issues. Key updates: A new chapter on the Mental Capacity Act More material on the Personalisation Agenda More material on working with dementia This book is in the Transforming Social Work Practice series. All books in the series are affordable, mapped to the Social Work Curriculum, practical with clear links between theory & practice and written to the Professional Capabilities Framework.

Increasingly, voices in the growing neurodiversity movement are alleging that individuals who are neurologically divergent, such as those with conditions related to bipolar disorder, autism, schizophrenia, and depression, must struggle for their civil rights. This movement therefore raises questions of interest to scholars in the humanities and social sciences, as well as to concerned members of the general public. These questions have to do with such matters as the accessibility of knowledge about mental health; autonomy and community within the realm of the mentally ill; and accommodation in civil society and its institutions. The contributors to Ethics and Neurodiversity explore these questions, and the traditional philosophical questions related to them. The authors pay special attention to the need to examine the policies and practices of institutions, such as higher education, social support, and healthcare.

More than fifty million people a year are diagnosed with some form of mental illness. It spares no sex, race, age, ethnicity, or income level. And left untreated, mental disorders can devastate our families and communities. Family members and friends are often the first to realize when someone has a problem, but it is hard to know how to help or where to turn. Our mental health system can feel like a bewildering and frustrating maze. How can you tell that someone has a mental illness? What are the first and best steps for you to take? Where do you go to find the right care?

The Family Guide to Mental Health Care is the first comprehensive print resource for the millions of people who have loved ones suffering from some kind of mental illness. In this book, families can find the answers to their most urgent questions. What medications are helpful and are some as dangerous as I think? Is there a way to navigate privacy laws so I can discuss my adult daughter s treatment with her doctor? Is my teenager experiencing typical adolescent distress or an illness? From understanding depression, bipolar illness and anxiety to eating and traumatic disorders, schizophrenia, and much more, readers will learn what to do and how to help.

Real-life scenarios and authoritative information are written in a compassionate, reader-friendly way, including checklists to bring to a doctor s appointment so you can ask the right questions. For readers who fear they will never see the light at the end of the tunnel, this book gives hope and a path forward.

As one of the nation s leading voices on quality care in mental health, Dr. Lloyd Sederer has played a singular role in advancing services for those with mental illness. Now, the wealth of his expertise and clear guidance is at your disposal. From the first signs of a problem to sorting through the variety of treatment options, you and your family will be able to walk into a doctor s office know what to do and what to ask."