Main description:

In Mental Health Social Work, Colin Pritchard draws on his many years of experience in research, teaching and practice in order to explore key issues for social workers who want to work in the mental health field.

Mental health social work can be one of the most rewarding and one of the most frustrating areas of social work practice. Social workers need to have a good knowledge of interventions and their evidence bases, from pharmacology to psychotherapy, but also be able to work sensitively and effectively with both clients and carers in a rapidly changing context.

Based on a series of case studies and research based practice, the book explores key topics including:

the multiple factors affecting mental health
the bio-psycho-social model of practice
key areas including depression, suicide, schizophrenia and personality disorder
the mental healthaEURO"child protection interface
residential work
treatment modalities.

Presenting new and challenging research findings in this field, this book will be invaluable reading for undergraduate social work students and for practising social workers.

Contents:

Part 1: A Psychiatric Perspective 1. In the Beginning: Cultural History and Poetry of Madness 2. What Does Mental Health / Disorder Mean? 3. Defining Mental Disorder: A Psychiatric Framework 4. Defining Mental Disorder: A Framework for the Schizophrenias 5. The 'Minor' Mental Disorders Part 2: Bio-psychological Perspective 6. Critique of Unidimensional Medicalisation of Mental Disorder 7. Other Problems of Psychiatry 8. Mental Health Social Work with People with Mood Disorders 9. Mental Health Social Work with People with Schizophrenia Part 3: The Emergency Perspectives 10. Mental Health Social Work with 'Suicidal' People 11. Personality Disorders and the Psychiatric-Child Protection Interface 12. Statutory Mental Health Social Work: Care and Control Dilemmas and Role of the Approved Social Worker 13. The Accommodation Dimension: Housing and Mental Disorder 14. The Vortex of Mental Disorder: The Client Speaks