Sometimes described as "the nemesis of the primary care physician," somatoform disorders are frustrating, expensive to treat, and under-investigated. Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders provides a fascinating and practical review of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this ill-defined category of disease. Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders summarizes the proceedings of a unique international conference that convened experts from across disciplines to review perspectives on somatoform disorders. The broad range of experience and specialization results in a compendium that addresses both theoretical and practical issues presented in somatoform disorders. For the researcher, the book offers a thorough and critical overview of the research landscape, surveying and synthesizing the available literature from around the world on all aspects of the disorder. Acknowledging the unique challenges presented in studying such a heterogeneous collection of disorders, the authors identify specific gaps in the research literature. Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders also addresses controversial issues of nosology in advance of the publication of DSM-V.

Despite its utility for researchers, the book primarily serves as an invaluable reference and resource for the practitioner. Organized with the clinician in mind, Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders surveys the latest data on phenomenology; etiology and clinical course; and treatment options. Unlike other literature on this difficult topic, the authors thoroughly explore the entire range of this category of disorders, including conversion disorder, chronic pain and fatigue, and the multitude of presentations of medically unexplained symptoms. Aimed at both primary care and mental health practitioners, the book addresses crucial issues for effective diagnosis and treatment, including: - Comorbidity and association with anxiety and depressive disorders- Unique insights into cultural factors affecting the presentation and treatment of somatic disorders around the globe- The prevalence of misdiagnosis, and contemporary diagnostic tools and techniques to help avoid a missed organic diagnosis- The complicated interrelationship of somatoform disorders and substance abuse- The efficacy of various treatment modalities, including pharmacology and cognitive behavioral therapy- Collaboration between primary care and mental health providers to maximize treatment outcomes

Comprehensive, thoughtful, and up-to-date, Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders is a must-have both for researchers in the field and for clinicians with somatizing patients.

Colin Mathers who leads the Global Burden of Disease group in WHO has confirmed that, in the 2004 GBD, 13.1% of global Daily Adjusted Life Years are attributable to mental or neurological disorders. While the proportions vary very widely from about 10% in low income countries to over 25% in high income countries, it is clear that there is a need for understanding how to address this issue. This volume aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the public health principles of mental and neurological disorders. This vast range of health conditions affects people across the life course, from developmental disabilities in childhood, to schizophrenia and substance abuse in adults, and dementia in old age. Despite this diversity, they all share many features: they are mostly mediated through brain dysfunction or abnormalities, are often chronic in course, typically benefit from multi-component interventions, and are amongst the most neglected conditions in global health. The volume will bring together chapters from the Psychiatry, Neurology, Substance Abuse and Child Development sections of the Encyclopedia of Public Health. The volume will be the first comprehensive text on a public health approach to this diverse group of health conditions and has no obvious competitor.

Since adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the interpretive General Comment 1, the topic of legal capacity in mental health settings has generated considerable debate in disciplines ranging from law and psychiatry to public health and public policy. With over 180 countries having ratified the Convention, the shifts required in law and clinical practice need to be informed by interdisciplinary and contextually relevant research as well as the views of stakeholders. With an equal emphasis on the Global North and Global South, this volume offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary analysis of legal capacity in the realm of mental health. Integrating rigorous academic research with perspectives from people with psychosocial disabilities and their caregivers, the authors provide a holistic overview of pertinent issues and suggest avenues for reform.

Mental illnesses are common and cause great suffering to individuals and communities everywhere in the world, but many health workers are more comfortable dealing with physical illness. This practical manual of mental health care is vital for community health workers, primary care nurses, social workers and primary care doctors, particularly in low-resource settings. This guide gives the reader a basic understanding of mental illness by describing more than thirty clinical problems associated with mental illness and uses a problem-solving approach to guide the reader through their assessment and management. Mental health issues as they arise in specific contexts are described - in refugee camps, in school health programmes, as well as in mental health promotion. The final section helps the reader to personalise for a particular location, for example, by entering local information on voluntary agencies, the names and costs of medicines and words in the local language for symptoms. This product is also available as Open Access.

Global health is an area for study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. Global mental health is the application of these principles to the domain of mental ill-health. The most striking inequity is that concerning the disparities in provision of care and respect for human rights of people living with mental health problems (MHP) between rich and poor countries. Low and middle income countries (LMIC) are home to over 80% of the global population, but command less than 20% of the share of the mental health resources. The consequent 'treatment gap' is in itself a contravention of basic human rights. Even where treatment is provided, far too often this falls far below minimum acceptable standards. Failure to provide basic necessities such as adequate nourishment, clothing, shelter, comfort and privacy, unauthorized and unmonitored detention, shackling and chaining are all well documented abuses, described recently as a 'failure of humanity'. The emergence of the discipline of global mental health as one of the most dynamic fields of global health underscores the need for this textbook for students of the discipline. Global mental health was cited by the NIMH Director in his 2012 year ending blog as one of the major advances in mental health in 2012 and by one of the most influential figures in psychiatry and anthropology, Arthur Kleinman, as the exciting future of academic psychiatry (Br J Psychiatry, December 2012). The scope of the book is to cover two major aspects of the field: its scientific foundations and its practice and opens with an original account charting the history of the field from antiquity to its most recent developments. The language and content is geared towards a wide audience of practitioners and students of global mental health, including those who do not have any previous training in a clinical mental health specialty. This textbook, edited by four of the field's most widely acknowledged champions, with 20 chapters authored by over 30 global leaders of the field from diverse institutions and countries, is aimed to be the definitive text of this dynamic new discipline.

An easy to read, jargon-free introduction to mental health, this practical guide is written for qualified and non-qualified practitioners. 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 and the issues and implications surrounding them, and include separate chapters on personality disorder, dual diagnosis and self-harm. They provide in-depth practical information on: * the Mental Health Act * diagnosis and medication * risk assessment and management. This guide is full of useful information, practical suggestions, and strategies for anyone working with people who are experiencing mental illness. It will prove invaluable to housing workers, support workers, probation officers, prison health care officers, student nurses and anyone coming in to contact with mental health issues.

Global mental health is a dynamic field of global health; a core aspect of the story which has led to its emergence has been the conduct of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating innovative delivery systems of packages of care for mental disorders in low-resource settings. Global Mental Health Trials brings together many of the world's leading researchers active in the fields of RCTs in low- and medium-resource countries and settings related to improving mental health care. It presents clear and practical information about how to conduct such trials in these settings, along with critical methodological and ethical issues related to such trials, learning from the positive and negative experiences of expert scientists in many countries worldwide who have completed such trials. This book serves as a valuable resource for practitioners in mental health - psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses nursing, psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists - as well as researchers in the areas of psycho-social treatments in mental health, mental health services research, and programme and systems evaluation.

A worthwhile collection of experiences from several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across India in the field of mental health.... A useful sourcebook in gaining insight of the various non-formal efforts in mental health care delivery in India' - Psychological Medicine In the third world, research evidence shows that mental disorders are amongst the commonest and most disabling health problems in the community. The enormous scale of the burden of mental illness becomes worse because of poor access and availability of appropriate health care for most of the sufferers. The non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have played an important role in filling gaps and innovating new models of health care in under-served populations, but their work has rarely been documented. This book is the first comprehensive documentation of the NGO movement that deals with mental health problems in India. It has brought together 17 different NGOs from all regions of the country. They deal with a wide range of mental health and allied issues, from severe mental disorders to substance abuse to trauma and violence to suicide prevention and dementia in the elderly. Successes and limitations of each NGO as a service provider have been critically examined. This book also demonstrates the innovative methods adopted by the NGOs to meet the needs and challenges of mental health. In the last chapter, the editors have drawn lessons from the experience of the NGOs and have linked them to the thematic issues pertaining to the NGO role in mental health services in the country.