The Language Of Mental Health

For many years, the American Psychiatric Glossary has been the standard reference for psychiatrists, residents, psychiatric social workers, and other mental health professionals. Last published 8 years ago, it enjoyed unparalleled dominance in the mental health market. Now comes The Language of Mental Health: A Glossary of Psychiatric Terms, which is designed not only to replace its predecessor but also to improve upon its offerings and bring the content firmly into the twenty-first century. This comprehensive, user-friendly reference boasts an abundance of features, both time-tested and new, as follows: The number of Glossary definitions has been increased by 25%, and coverage has been expanded to include terms specific to newer psychiatric subspecialties, such as geriatric psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, and child and adolescent psychiatry. The section on "Medications Used in Psychiatry" is expanded and up to date. Medications are organized by drug class (e.g., antidepressants), subclass (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), trade name (e.g., Prozac), and generic name (e.g., fluoxetine). The section on "Psychiatric Measures" is robust and detailed. For example, the entry under "Neuropsychiatric Measures for Cognitive Disorders" lists nearly a dozen assessments, along with their acronyms or abbreviations. The section on "Mental Health Resources" includes vital descriptions and current contact information for dozens of organizations. The Web addresses are especially useful for those seeking immediate assistance or access to information. Although the reference maintains the level of theoretical, diagnostic, and therapeutic accuracy one would expect from a book for clinicians, it will also prove useful to advocacy groups, attorneys, and mental health patients and their families. Compact enough to slip into a pocket or briefcase, yet substantial enough to withstand frequent consultations and extended study, The Language of Mental Health is a worthy successor to the American Psychiatric Glossary and is the only reference of its caliber and completeness on the market.

This book explores social constructionism and the language of mental distress. Mental health research has traditionally been dominated by genetic and biomedical explanations that provide only partial explanations. However, process research that utilises qualitative methods has grown in popularity. Situated within this new strand of research, the authors examine and critically assess some of the different contributions that social constructionism has made to the study of mental distress and to how those diagnosed are conceptualized and labeled. This will be an invaluable introduction and source of practical strategies for academics, researchers and students as well as clinical practitioners, mental health professionals, and others working with mental health such as educationalists and social workers.

Language Deprivation and Deaf Mental Health explores the impact of the language deprivation that some deaf individuals experience by not being provided fully accessible language exposure during childhood. Leading experts in Deaf mental health care discuss the implications of language deprivation for a person’s development, communication, cognitive abilities, behavior, and mental health. Beginning with a groundbreaking discussion of language deprivation syndrome, the chapters address the challenges of psychotherapy, interpreting, communication and forensic assessment, language and communication development with language-deprived persons, as well as whether cochlear implantation means deaf children should not receive rich sign language exposure. The book concludes with a discussion of the most effective advocacy strategies to prevent language deprivation. These issues, which draw on both cultural and disability perspectives, are central to the emerging clinical specialty of Deaf mental health.

This glossary is the standard reference for definitions, abbreviations, medication names, and legalt erms of interest to mental health professionals.

Mental health has become a growing concern in today's society, with schools emerging as focal points for addressing this topic. The present volume takes this as a starting point to explore the relevance of curricula and competencies, texts and materials, (digital) culture and communication, and teacher education in the context of mental health and English language education. This, for instance, includes insights into interrelated topics such as gender, climate change, stress, and conspiracy theories. A variety of texts including multimodal novels, video games, and songs provides practical impulses for integrating mental health related topics into English lessons. As such, this volume brings together scholars from various fields who discuss the relationship between mental health issues and English as a foreign language learning from a variety of theoretical, empirical, and practice-oriented perspectives.

“A magnificent gift to those of us who love someone who has a mental illness…Earley has used his considerable skills to meticulously research why the mental health system is so profoundly broken.”—Bebe Moore Campbell, author of 72 Hour Hold Former Washington Post reporter Pete Earley had written extensively about the criminal justice system. But it was only when his own son—in the throes of a manic episode—broke into a neighbor's house that he learned what happens to mentally ill people who break a law. This is the Earley family's compelling story, a troubling look at bureaucratic apathy and the countless thousands who suffer confinement instead of care, brutal conditions instead of treatment, in the “revolving doors” between hospital and jail. With mass deinstitutionalization, large numbers of state mental patients are homeless or in jail-an experience little better than the horrors of a century ago. Earley takes us directly into that experience—and into that of a father and award-winning journalist trying to fight for a better way.

Thomas Szasz wrote over thirty books and several hundred articles, replete with mordant criticism of psychiatry, in both scientific and popular periodicals. His works made him arguably one of the world's most recognized psychiatrists, albeit one of the most controversial. These writings have been translated into several languages and have earned him a worldwide following. Szasz was a man of towering intellect, sweeping historical knowledge, and deep-rooted, mostly libertarian, philosophical beliefs. He wrote with a lucid and acerbic wit, but usually in a way that is accessible to general readers. His books cautioned against the indiscriminate power of psychiatry in courts and in society, and against the apparent rush to medicalize all human folly. They have spawned an eponymous ideology that has influenced, to various degrees, laws relating to mental health in several countries and states. This book critically examines the legacy of Thomas Szasz - a man who challenged the very concept of mental illness and questioned several practices of psychiatrists. The book surveys his many contributions including those in psychoanalysis, which are very often overlooked by his critics. While admiring his seminal contribution to the debate, the book will also point to some of his assertions that merit closer scrutiny. Contributors to the book are drawn from various disciplines, including Psychiatry, Philosophy and Law; and are from various countries including the United States, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Some contributors knew Thomas Szasz personally and spent many hours with him discussing issues he raised in his books and articles. The book will be fascinating reading for anyone interested in matters of mental health, human rights, and ethics.