A Handbook for the Study of Mental Health: Social Contexts, Theories, and Systems

Description

With chapters written by leading scholars and researchers, the third edition of A Handbook for the Study of Mental Health provides an updated, comprehensive review of the sociology of mental health. The volume presents an overview of the historical, social, and institutional frameworks for understanding mental health and illness. Part I examines the social factors that shape psychiatric diagnosis and the measurement of mental health and illness, the theories that explain the definition and treatment of mental disorders, and cultural variability in mental health. The section addresses the DSM-5 and its potential influence on diagnosis and research on mental health outcomes. Part II investigates the effects of social context on mental health and illness. Part III focuses on the organization, delivery, and social context of mental health treatment. The chapters in Part III address the likely impact of the Affordable Care Act on mental health care. This volume is a key resource for students, researchers, advocates, and policymakers seeking to understand mental health and mental health delivery systems.

Teresa L. Scheid is a Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, with joint appointments in Public Policy and Health Services Research. She is also an affiliate faculty member in the PhD programs for Health Psychology and Organization Science. Dr Scheid's first book, Tie a Knot and Hang On: Providing Mental Health Care in a Turbulent Institutional Environment (2004), examined mental health care work and changes to mental health care under managed care. She also edited the four-volume series, Mental Health: Major Themes in Health and Social Welfare (2008) and has co-edited two editions of The Handbook for the Study of Mental Health: Social Contexts, Theories and Systems (Cambridge, 1999 and 2010). Eric R. Wright is a 2nd Century Initiative (2CI) Professor of Sociology and Public Health and Chair of the Sociology Department at Georgia State University. As a medical sociologist, his research focuses on social dimensions of and public policy responses to mental health and illness, substance use and addiction, and sexual health. Professor Wright is an award winning teacher and deeply committed to engaging students in research and service learning projects to make learning more relevant and to build stronger bridges between the academy and the community.