Person Environment Psychology And Mental Health

In recent years, mental health professionals who have traditionally focused on the emotional state of the individual have come to realize that problems arise from the unique interactions between particular individuals and environments. From necessity, they are beginning to look at context; no longer can they place the responsibility for mental health on the shoulders of the person alone. Most attention has been paid to the impact of educational and work settings, but it is clear that all life settings contribute meaningfully to positive psychological adaptation and must be considered in any attempt to understand a person's difficulties. This book explores the crucial ramifications of new theory and research in person-environment psychology for assessment and intervention. All practitioners seeking to deliver effective mental health services to adolescents and adults will learn from it.

In recent years, mental health professionals who have traditionally focused on the emotional state of the individual have come to realize that problems arise from the unique interactions between particular individuals and environments. From necessity, they are beginning to look at context; no longer can they place the responsibility for mental health on the shoulders of the person alone. Most attention has been paid to the impact of educational and work settings, but it is clear that all life settings contribute meaningfully to positive psychological adaptation and must be considered in any attempt to understand a person's difficulties. This book explores the crucial ramifications of new theory and research in person-environment psychology for assessment and intervention. All practitioners seeking to deliver effective mental health services to adolescents and adults will learn from it.

A variety of theoretical approaches to person-environment psychology has been developed over the years, representing a rich range of intellectual perspectives. This second edition links the past and present and looks toward the future in reviewing new directions and perspectives in person-environment psychology. Stated differently, the main thrust of this volume is to present contemporary models and perspectives that make some sensible predictions concerning the individual and the environment using the person-environment relationship. Within a person-environment framework, these models and perspectives are concerned with how people tend to influence environments and how environments reciprocally tend to influence people. Thus, this second edition presents new directions in person-environment psychology and the implications for theory, research, and application.

A guide to nidotherapy; a new concept in mental health concerned with systematically analysing a person's environment and changing it to fit the person, so that their sense of well-being and belonging are improved.

Covering the full spectrum of methodology, the timely and indispensible Research Methods for Environmental surveys the research and application methods for studying, changing, and improving human attitudes, behaviour and well-being in relation to the physical environment. The first new book covering research methods in environmental psychology in over 25 years. Brings the subject completely up-to-date with coverage of the latest methodology in the field The level of public concern over the impact of the environment on humans is high, making this book timely and of real interest to a fast growing discipline Comprehensively surveys the research and application methods for studying, changing, and improving human attitudes, behavior, and well-being in relation to the physical environment Robert Gifford is internationally recognised as one of the leading individuals in this field, and the contributors include many of the major leaders in the discipline

The primary audience for Person-Environment Practice is the great majority of social workers whose helping efforts extend to individuals, families, groups, and neighborhoods. Its primary aim is to examine each of these levels critically, through the prism of "environment," and to offer practical suggestions for both assessment and intervention.

Environmental illness is a concept of growing concern to all health professionals. Patients with problems presumably caused by sick buildings, electromagnetic fields and hypersensitivity to chemicals--to name a few--are often referred to psychologists, psychiatrists, and other counselors. The battery worker with fatigue, headaches, abdominal pain and an elevated lead level...the assembly worker with pain and numbness in her hand and delayed median nerve conduction...the patient who develops typical contact dermatitis after working with epoxies..., these are straightforward cases. But they are in the minority. In many cases, needy, demanding, and difficult patients present complex and challenging psychological issues. Practitioners often lack the training or wisdom to handle these issues effectively. We know that exposure to lead, mercury, and PCBs affect psychological development and behavior; we know much less about the effects of thousands of other chemicals in the environment. In addition, global climate change, social disruption, and the spread of infections will--in the near future--expose people to novel environmental threats. Symptoms caused by toxins can overlap those caused by fear, stress, and depression, and the clinical picture can mimic a variety of other mental disorders. On the other hand, the natural environment can also be a healer. Research shows that hospital stays are shortened and the need for pain medication reduced for patients exposed to nature, even in images, or to the company of animals. Nursing home patients live longer if allowed to keep pets, and one controlled study shows that caring for animals reduces disruptive behavior in even the most difficult ADD children. This book offers the first overview of the many ways the environment can affect mental health and illness. It will prove to be an important and valuable resource for physicians in psychiatry, public health, and environmental medicine; for clinical and counseling psychologists and social workers; and for environmental researchers and advocates worldwide.

This volume is addressed to professionals and students in community mental health-including researchers, clinicians, administrators, educa tors, and students in relevant specialities within the fields of psychology, psychiatry, social work, public health, and nursing. The intent of this book is to serve as a practical resource for professionals and also as a di dactic text for students. In addition,·the volume seeks to make a theoret ical contribution to the field by presenting, for the first time in book form, a behavioral-ecological perspective in community mental health. We present behavioral-ecology as an emerging perspective that is concerned with the interdependence of people, behavior, and their sociophysical environments. Behavioral-ecology attributes mental health problems to transactions between persons and their settings, rather than to causes rooted exclusively within individuals or environments. In this vol ume we advance the notion of behavioral-ecology as an integration of two broad perspectives--behauioral approaches as derived from the indi vidual psychology of learning, and ecological approaches as encompassing the study of communities, environments, and social systems. Through the programs brought together in this book we are arguing for a merging of these two areas for purposes of advancing theory, research, and prac tice in community mental health.