A Sociology of Mental Health and Illness

"A Sociology of Mental Health and Illness is an intellectual 'tour de force'. Rogers and Pilgrim cogently dismantle professional pretensions towards mastery of mental illness, and in their place construct compelling arguments for the need to focus on the social, economic and political determinants of mental well-being." Professor Chris Dowrick, University of Liverpool, UK How do we understand mental health problems and the concept of happiness in their social context? How have sociologists theorized and researched mental health and illness? A former BMA Medical Book of the Year award winner, this book provides a sociological analysis of major areas of mental health and illness and helps students to develop a critical approach to the subject. This new edition is fully updated, taking into consideration changes in the areas of sociology, social psychiatry and policy analysis and changes to policy and therapeutic law. A new chapter entitled 'public mental health and the pursuit of happiness', reflects the recent focus on the creation of mentally healthy societies. A Sociology of Mental Health and Illness 4/e is a key teaching and learning resource for undergraduates and postgraduates studying a range of medical sociology and health-related courses, as well as trainee mental health workers in the fields of social work, nursing, clinical psychology and psychiatry.