The Psychology Of Mental Health

The foundation necessary for any civilization to exist in peace and prosperity hinges on its citizenry's mental health and their ability to think and act rationally and ethically. Sadly, current culture is marked by irrationality, divisiveness, and a movement toward polarization and constant conflict. Reversing this destructive trend will depend on a significant change in value structure at both societal and individual levels. Fundamental to this essential change is knowledge about the nature of mental health and the skills of responsible and effective interpersonal relating. In The Psychology of Mental Health: The Pursuit of Psychological Quality, Dr. C. Franklin Truan tackles these issues by offering pragmatic common sense substance and direction for both laymen and helping professionals. He presents the nature and development of individual mental health, with special emphasis on the critical role early childhood social environment plays in fostering healthy psychological development. Additionally, Dr. Truan presents rational principles, characteristics, and competencies necessary for the acquisition and preservation of mental health and the experience of psychological quality. Dr. Truan explores how cultural beliefs and practices contribute to both mental health and mental illness. He exposes erroneous and harmful practices in the psychological field and calls on psychology professionals to hold themselves accountable for being mentally healthy and competent and to assume a more responsible leadership role by challenging societal beliefs and practices that contribute to mental illness. Finally, Dr. Truan states that psychology must prioritize preventive education as a primary deterrent to the proliferation of mental illness and the only effective avenue toward the experience of psychological quality in one's life.

Is depression simply the result of chemical imbalances, or Schizophrenia a wholly biological disorder? What role do the broader circumstances of an individual's social, cultural and heuristic world play in the wider scheme of their psychological wellbeing? In this ground-breaking and highly innovative text, Cromby et al deliver an introduction to the the biopsychosocial paradigm for understanding and treating psychological distress, taking into consideration the wider contexts that engender the onset of mental illness and critiquing the limitations in the sole use of the biomedical model in psychological practice. Rather than biologically determined or clinically measurable, readers are encouraged to consider mental illness as a subjective experience that is expressed according to the individual experiences of the sufferer rather than the rigidity of diagnostic categories. Similarly, approaches to recovery expand beyond psychiatric medication to consider the fundamental function of methods such as psychotherapy, community psychology and service-user movements in the recovery process. Offering a holistic account of the experience of psychological distress, this text draws upon not only statistical evidence but places an integral emphasis on the service-user experience; anecdotal accounts of which feature throughout in order to provide readers with the perspective of the mental health sufferer. Taking an integrative approach to the psychology of mental health, the authors draw from a wealth of experience, examples and approaches to present this student-friendly and engaging text. This is core reading for anyone serious about understanding mental health issues and is suitable for undergraduate students taking introductory courses in psychology and abnormal psychology.

The present text offers a comprehensive treatment of the principal issues and topics in the field of mental hygiene. Its principal concern is the normal, reasonably, well-adjusted individual. Thus much of the text is devoted to the dynamics of normal behavior -- healthy personality integrations, adjustive mechanisms, and patterns of motivation. Although the discussion is centered on the normal individual, psychological pathology is not neglected. The causes and patterns of deviate behavior are analyzed in sufficient detail to enable students to acquire insight and understanding regarding the actions of emotionally disturbed individuals. The more serious deviant behavior manifested by persons suffering form psychoneuroses or psychoses is discussed with a view to providing a broad picture of mental ill-health. Similarly, other chapters deal with psychosomatic disorders, delinquent and criminal behavior, deviations in sexual behavior, and the physiological factors in mental and emotional disorders. -- Preface.

This Handbook represents the first concerted effort to understand male mental health in a way that facilitates a positive step forward in both theory and treatment. An alarming number of men experience serious mental health issues, as demonstrated by high rates of suicide and violent offending. Despite these problems, the study of male psychology has either been overlooked, or viewed as a problem of defective masculinity. This handbook brings together experts from across the world to discuss men’s mental health, from prenatal development, through childhood, adolescence, and fatherhood. Men and masculinity are explored from multiple perspectives including evolutionary, cross-cultural, cognitive, biological, developmental, and existential viewpoints, with a focus on practical suggestions and demonstrations of successful clinical work with men. Throughout, chapters question existing models of understanding and treating men’s mental health and explore new approaches, theories and interventions. This definitive handbook encapsulates a new wave of positive theory and practice in the field of male psychology and will be of great value to professionals, academics, and those working with males through the lifespan in any sector related to male mental health and wellbeing.

An introduction to how social psychological theories, methods and interventions can be applied to manage real-world social problems.

Traditionally, coaching psychologists have worked with people who aren't experiencing significant mental distress or have diagnosed mental illness. This book describes an innovative and challenging project of bringing coaching psychology to the lived experience of individuals with a diagnosed mental illness, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The authors present a case for why coaching psychology needs to be constructively challenged to broaden its base and be more inclusive and of service to people experiencing BPD in particular. The book describes a coaching interaction involving coaching psychologists and a number of individuals with BPD who had completed a behavioural skills programme (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy; DBT). It explores the epistemological and practice tensions involving the dominance of clinical recovery (elimination of symptoms) in mental health services and personal or psychological recovery (originating in the narratives of people with a diagnosis of mental illness who yearn to live a life worth living). This book, written amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, makes a compelling case for coaching psychologists to engage with the philosophy and practice implications of personal recovery, at both professional and personal levels. It will be vital reading for those engaged in coaching psychology and for the education, training and continuous professional development of coaches and coaching psychologists.

Mental Wellbeing and Psychology unpacks the philosophical and psychological need to understand ourselves through an exploration of historical archives and artistic creativity. This focuses on some practical, evidence-based approaches to developing mental wellbeing. The book uses phenomenological psychology to explore the materials developed by the Stiwdio Arts group and offers an understanding of one’s experiences of their world, recognising that these are embodied and perceived within a temporal and relational place. It offers examples for developing mental health and wellbeing interventions for charities, private care and the NHS. It provides an evidence base for the use of creativity and historical resources in mental health care. This book will be of great interest for academics, researchers and post-graduate students in the field of mental wellbeing, nursing and mentalhealth nursing, occupational therapy and social work.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride set up The Cambridge Nutrition Clinic in 1998. As a parent of a child diagnosed with learning disabilities, she is acutely aware of the difficulties facing other parents like her, and she has devoted much of her time to helping these families. She realized that nutrition played a critical role in helping children and adults to overcome their disabilities, and has pioneered the use of probiotics in this field. Her willingness to share her knowledge has resulted in her contributing to many publications, as well as presenting at numerous seminars and conferences on the subjects of learning disabilities and digestive disorders. Her book Gut and Psychology Syndrome captures her experience and knowledge, incorporating her most recent work. She believes that the link between learning disabilities, the food and drink that we take, and the condition of our digestive system is absolute, and the results of her work have supported her position on this subject. In her clinic, parents discuss all aspects of their child's condition, confident in the knowledge that they are not only talking to a professional but to a parent who has lived their experience. Her deep understanding of the challenges they face puts her advice in a class of its own.