Understanding Youth Mental Health: Perspectives from Theory and Practice

Book excerpt: “This is an incredibly useful and timely resource for those studying and working in the field of youth mental health.” Sara Evans-Lacko, PhD, Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK “’Understanding Youth Mental Health’ covers the full spectrum of what is needed. ‘Understanding Youth Mental Health’ is a welcome and important building block.” Patrick McGorry, Professor of Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia, Executive Director, Orygen: National Centre for Youth Mental Health “This practical textbook, with contributions from established international experts, provides a comprehensive guide to contemporary theory, research and practice in youth mental health.” Dr Louise Doyle, Associate Professor in Mental Health Nursing, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland Understanding Youth Mental Health offers a new and comprehensive approach to youth mental health that highlights the significance of development during adolescence and early adulthood. The book centres on the experiences of young people as service users, drawing attention to the distinctive challenges being faced in the 21st century and emphasising the importance of supporting young people’s well-being and improving mental health literacy. In a succinct and practical way, Understanding Youth Mental Health: •Introduces students to a new conceptual model for understanding young people’s mental health •Incorporates chapters on the key features of new model services in Australia, Ireland and the UK including youth engagement, input from families and service design •Provides comprehensive epidemiological data on mental disorders and a clear focus on the importance of early intervention in psychosis •Includes chapters from leading academics working in the area of youth mental health, augmented with short accounts of personal experiences from young people and their families Written by world-leading experts from eight countries with diverse research and clinical experience, Understanding Youth Mental Health draws on findings from around the globe and equips readers with the information required to develop as researchers and practitioners with a view to improving service provision in a range of contexts. Ideal for those embarking on careers or study in this field, the book provides key learnings from theory and practice which can be deployed and developed within your own service provision. Eilis Hennessy is a Professor of Developmental Psychology in University College Dublin, Ireland. Caroline Heary is an Associate Professor in Developmental Psychology at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Maria Michail is a Marie Curie Global Fellow and an Associate Professor in the Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, UK.