Mental distress is not exclusive to any particular group but touches the lives of people in all societies and walks of life; one in four of us will be affected by it in our lifetime. Yet the field of mental health is complex - fraught with differences in understanding and experience, variations in service provision, political agendas and professional discourses.

This wide-ranging book explores a range of themes in the development of mental health policy and practice, in order to promote critical reflection and enhance understanding. Drawing on an international evidence base, it explores the historical, legal and socio-cultural dimensions of mental health, including:

- Anti-discriminatory practice and the ethical tensions posed by legislation, particularly in relation to safeguarding and human rights

- Trends and concerns in the field of child and adolescent mental health

- The gender, ethnicity and age-related dimensions of mental ill-health

- The challenges posed by dual diagnosis and faced by families and carers

International Perspectives on Mental Health offers a multi-dimensional view of mental health and wellbeing, with the aim of opening up debate and inviting a more holistic conception of the field. It is required reading for students of mental health on professional and academic courses, as well as for practitioners in the health and social care field.

BARBARA FAWCETT Professor of Social Work and Policy Studies in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney, Australia. Her research interests focus on disability, mental health, women and violence, participative action research and postmodern feminism.
ZITA WEBER Honorary Lecturer at the University of Sydney where she taught for twenty years. Prior to entering academia, she was a social work practitioner in mental health, child health and rehabilitation areas. Zita has written books about depression and loss and grief.
SHEILA WILSON has worked as a Mental Health Clinician for fifteen years and currently works in a management capacity focusing on service development in the community context. She has operated as a Tutor for seven years at the University of Sydney in skills based subjects and student placements.