Social Support and Psychiatric Disorder : Research Findings and Guidelines for Clinical Practice

This book collates and analyzes the information currently available on social support as it impacts on mental health. The international team of contributors covers a whole range of perspectives on mental illness, from biological mechanisms to psychological and social theory. The book begins with an overview of the latest published evidence and a description of the nature and origins of social support, which is followed by evidence from observational studies and specific interventions and trials. The text concludes with a summary that will act as a valuable resource to practitioners in their evaluation of social and psychological treatments and should also serve to stimulate further research and intervention trials. Practitioners and researchers in psychiatry, psychology and social work are certain to welcome this timely guide.