Psychology, Mental Health and Distress - Tapa blanda

"This is the book that I have been waiting years to see. Superb, thoroughly researched and intellectually refreshing - a game changer in the field. It should be mandatory reading on every psychology course not just those dealing with mental health issues." - Ron Roberts, Kingston University, UK 
 
"This is one of the most important psychology books of recent years and will doubtless become the main textbook for most 'abnormal psychology' courses. It is the first textbook to take a truly psychological approach to mental health and distress, rather than one based on psychiatric categories and assumptions. Scholarly but highly readable, it should be required reading for all students and mental health professionals." - Anne Cooke, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK 
 
"This book is perfect for anybody who wants to understand - and do something about - psychological distress without falling into the fallacies of the disease model of mental illness. We need to move assertively beyond criticism and offer a genuine alternative to diagnosis and medication... and this book does exactly that." - Peter Kinderman, University of Liverpool, UK 
 
"At last, an undergraduate text that adopts a critical approach to 'Abnormal Psychology'. Psychology, Mental Health and Distress is the first of its kind, providing an accessible, engaging, and refreshing take on the standard material. Assembled by an impressive team of world-class scholars, this text extends the analysis of people's distress beyond biomedical and individualist framings, and toward a deeper exploration of the complext interplay between the body, the psych, and the social and political context. This is an important and revolutionary resource for students and scholars alike." - Michelle LaFrance, St Thomas University, Canada

"The book gives an excellent introduction to the field of abnormal psychology and could be read by students, academics, service users and clinical psychologists both to understand the different causes to mental distress, but also how these problems could be best treated." - Roger Hagen, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

"At last! A textbook for psychology students that actually uses psychological concepts to understand distress, offering a much-needed alternative to the narrow, medicalised approach of most texts. Students can now learn to think about mental health problems, instead of just labeling them as pathological. And by highlighting the contributions of those who have experienced distress first-hand, the authors helpfully contextualise the perspectives of professionals." - Gail A. Hornstein, Mount Holyoke College, USA

"This book is a real attempt to supplant the psychiatric orthodoxy that has permeated and constrained 'abnormal psychology textbooks' for decades. Its critical stance will confront students and professionals alike and in doing so, it presents an alternative psychological narrative which many will find challenging and controversial in equal measures." - Graham Turpin, University of Sheffield, UK

"Psychology, Mental Health and Distress offers a powerful, necessary, and timely counterpoint to standard issue 'abnormal psychology' textbooks. Not content to dish out the usual fare, Cromby, Harper and Reavey carefully situate the ideas and practices of clinical psychology and psychiatry in historical and social context. Written with clarity and conviction, this text promises to bring students into critical conversations." - Jeanne Marecek, Swarthmore College 
 
"This is a book that is long overdue. So many books on psychopathology tend to be overly influenced by a biomedical and cognitive approach to understanding psychological distress, and rarely go further than that. This book takes a refreshing psychological, social and critical approach. It does not discard the importance of biological factors, but it considers in detail the various psychological and social determinants of mental health and distress. I recommend this book as a must-read for clinical psychology trainees, and for students and professionals working in the field of mental health." - Poul Rohleder, Anglia Ruskin University, UK 
 
"I wish this book had been around when I was an undergraduate. Two aspects of the book are especially important. First, recognising the importance of culture in mental health, and secondly, giving a voice to mental health service users." - Kate Bennett, University of Liverpool, UK 
 
"In simple langauge and in no ambiguous terms, the authors of this book clearly bring out the limitations of current theory and research in psychiatry, abnormal and clinical psychology. The authors also go a step further to show how we can unshackle oursleves from these limitations. I whole heartedly recommend this book to both the beginning student and seasoned practitioner of mental health who is interested in helping people afflicted by mental distress." - David Lackland Sam, University of Bergen, Norway
 
'An inspiring and ambitious text - a longed-for change to passive acceptances of psychiatric categories. This book is ideal for academics and students wishing to critically probe the limitations of DSM diganoses.' - Leanne Franklin, Cardiff Metropolitan University
 
'I think it is a brilliant book by what I have read so far - and it has been a long time in coming! I think this book could possible set the trend for the future way of perceiving and thinking about mental health.' – Dr Fiona McConnochie, School of Social & Health Sciences, University of Abertay Dundee

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.