Mental illness is a highly controversial and contested field, informed
by the ideas and research of academics and practitioners working in
psychiatry, psychology, pharmacology, sociology, genetics and the
neurosciences. This book brings clarity to a complex field, exploring
core issues ranging from debates about the way the concept has been
developed, transformed and expanded over time, to controversies over its
causes.
The author evaluates critiques of the concept of mental illness and of
the way its expanding boundaries now define a far wider range of mental
states, experiences and activities as pathological, examining some of
the changes that have been made in official psychiatric classifications
since the Second World War. Arguing that these boundaries need to be
restricted, the author contends that many of the phenomena identified as
mental illness are normal reactions to life's difficulties and that,
while individuals may need support, it is not appropriate or helpful for
such phenomena to be pathologized and treated as indicative of mental
disorder. Other important topics covered include the way mental illness
is measured, its distribution across populations and over time, and the
different types of care provided for those with identified mental
illness.
Mental Illness will prove invaluable for intending practitioners in
medicine, psychiatry, mental health nursing, social work and clinical
and health psychology, as well as for students in psychology, sociology,
and the health sciences.
