Main description:

Mental Health Care: An Introduction for Health Professionals, 2nd edition is the ideal resource for students who will be future health professionals working in allied health and medical environments in Australia. Set firmly within a wellness framework, the text is also useful for health professionals, already working in a health–related field, who need information to support them to effectively assist people who experience mental health problems.

Drawing on the multidisciplinary expertise of Australia′s pre–eminent academics and clinicians, the text offers a user–friendly, jargon–free blend of theory and practice that will enable students to think carefully about the issues involved in mental health care, and empower them to develop strategies for working effectively with people across the lifespan and from diverse cultures. Building on the success of the first edition, Mental Health Care: An Introduction for Health Professionals, 2nd edition has been bolstered with increased coverage of child and adolescent mental health issues. To enhance student understanding further, integration of theory and application is given through the use of the following chapter features:

• ′Upon Reflection′ statements to encourage critical thinking and reflective best practice


• ′The Big Picture′ features to explore topical issues or dilemmas, relating the chapter material to the real world


• ′In Practice′ case studies and other practice–oriented examples to clearly illustrate how health professionals link theory to practice.

In addition to the end–of–chapter material, there is a comprehensive supplementary resource package providing invaluable additional learning support to students and lecturers.

Back cover:

Mental Health Care: An Introduction for Health Professionals, 2nd edition is the ideal resource for students who will be future health professionals working in allied health and medical environments in Australia. Set firmly within a wellness framework, the text is also useful for health professionals, already working in a health–related field, who need information to support them to effectively assist people who experience mental health problems.

Drawing on the multidisciplinary expertise of Australia′s pre–eminent academics and clinicians, the text offers a user–friendly, jargon–free blend of theory and practice that will enable students to think carefully about the issues involved in mental health care, and empower them to develop strategies for working effectively with people across the lifespan and from diverse cultures. Building on the success of the first edition, Mental Health Care: An Introduction for Health Professionals, 2nd edition has been bolstered with increased coverage of child and adolescent mental health issues. To enhance student understanding further, integration of theory and application is given through the use of the following chapter features:

• ′Upon Reflection′ statements to encourage critical thinking and reflective best practice


• ′The Big Picture′ features to explore topical issues or dilemmas, relating the chapter material to the real world


• ′In Practice′ case studies and other practice–oriented examples to clearly illustrate how health professionals link theory to practice.

In addition to the end–of–chapter material, there is a comprehensive supplementary resource package providing invaluable additional learning support to students and lecturers.

Contents:

Preface xiii

About the authors xv

Acknowledgements xvii

Chapter 1. Mental health care in Australia 1

Chapter 2. Assessment in the mental health context 51

Chapter 3. The legal and ethical context of mental health care 101

Chapter 4. Delivering culturally appropriate mental health care 137

Chapter 5. Common reactions to stressful situations 193

Chapter 6. Caring for a person displaying challenging behaviours 237

Chapter 7. Caring for a person with depression, anxiety or perinatal mental health 277

Chapter 8. Caring for a person who has self–harmed 331

Chapter 9. Caring for a person with a serious mental illness 377

Chapter 10. Caring for a person with a substance use disorder 423

Chapter 11. Caring for an older person with a mental illness 483

Chapter 12. Approaches to mental health service delivery 517

SUMMARY 557

Review questions 558

Discussion and debate 559

Project activity 560

Websites 560

References 561

Glossary 565

Index 576