Social Work and Mental Health - (Social Work in Theory and Practice) by Kate Karban (Paperback)

About the Book

Social Work and Mental Health offers a fresh approach and a valuable framework for understanding and responding to mental health issues across all aspects of social work practice, emphasising the relevance of mental health for all social workers, not just those in specialist mental health settings.

From the Back Cover

Social Work and Mental Health offers a fresh approach to addressing mental health issues, emphasizing the relevance of mental health for all social workers, not just those in specialist mental health settings.

The book engages critically with the complexities of contemporary theory, policy and practice, recognizing developments in user and carer involvement and interprofessional working. Key chapters focus on inequality and diversity, drawing attention to the social determinants of health and the important contribution of social work in promoting social perspectives. Practice issues include the mental health of children, young people and families, and older people. Promoting rights, recovery and social justice - and balancing these with considerations of risk - are core themes running through the text.

The book contains a number of examples and points for reflection intended to encourage critical thinking and further exploration of the issues. Suggestions for additional reading and resources are offered at the end of each chapter.

Overall the book provides a valuable framework for understanding and responding to mental health issues that will be useful for social work students and practitioners as well as a wider audience.

Review Quotes

"Given the broad scope of Karban's book, she succeeds in covering key areas of theory, research and reflective practice for practicioners relatively new (or returning) to the topic and I would warmly recommend it as a useful resource for this audience."
British Journal of Social Work

"Kate Karban's book is approachable, well-informed and grounded in social work values and practice. Importantly it is not just for the specialist mental health practicioner; it shows how social workers can make positive contributions to the well-being of service users in many different settings."
Juliet Koprowska, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, York University

"A social approach to mental health is needed more than ever. Karban's Social Work and Mental Health provides social care practicioners with all the arguments necessary to defend their corner. This will be invaluable resource for trainees and those already working in the field."
David Pilgrim, School of Social Work, University of Central Lancashire

"Taking inspiration from a wide range of sources, particularly perspectives of people who have experience of mental distress, Kate Karban offers an excellent introduction to mental health social work. The field has long been dominated by biomedical constructions of 'mental illness' and it is most refreshing to read about people's social experiences and issues of inequality and diversity, which we know are major contributory factors to mental health difficulties."
Jerry Tew, Institute of Applied Social Studies, Birmingham University

About the Author

Kate Karban is Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Bradford.