This publication highlights key issues and principles to be considered in the drafting, adoption and implementation of mental health legislation and best practice in mental health services. It contains examples of diverse experiences and practices, as well as extracts of laws and other legal documents from a range of different countries, and a checklist of key policy components. Three main elements of effective mental health legislation are identified, relating to context, content and process.

This all-in-one guide is designed to better equip clergy and the church leaders to meet their congregations' needs in a spiritually grounded and scientifically sound manner. Succinct, easy-to-read chapters summarize all a pastor needs to know about a given problem area, including its signs or symptoms, questions to ask, effective helping skills, and, most importantly, when to refer to a mental health professional. Synthesizing what research says about treatment approaches for mental health issues, this user-friendly reference is filled with guidelines, case scenarios, key points to remember, resources for further help, advice on integrating scripture and theology with the best available research, and tips on partnering with others to provide the best possible care for each church member. Each chapter is designed for quick lookup by problem area, empowering church leaders to understand and help meet the challenges facing the children, adults, families, and communities that they serve.

Mental wellbeing is an integral part of being, and feeling, healthy, and it is estimated that one in four people will suffer from some form of mental illness during their lifetime. In spite of this, it is often overlooked in mainstream healthcare. The overall aim of this book is to provide knowledge and understanding of how mental health affects human beings from conception through to end-of-life, and the challenges that society as a whole has to address in the treatment of mental health. Beginning with an exploration of historical, social and cultural contexts, the book then goes on to discuss mental health care, and mental health promotion, during pregnancy and early parenthood, childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, adulthood for both men and women, and in older people. Containing reflective exercises, the chapters are designed to provide an easily-accessible and engagingly-written introduction to mental health. Containing chapters that can be read and reviewed in isolation, or used as an entire text, Mental Health Across the Lifespan: A Handbook provides a solid introduction to mental health for students. The book will also act as a useful reference for doctors, nurses, midwives, health visitors, allied health professionals, and health and social care support workers who have no specialist mental health training but often work in partnership with, and care for, people suffering from mental health issues.

This comprehensive book examines the organization, financing, delivery, and outcomes of behavioral health (i.e., alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health) services from both U.S. and global perspectives. Addressing the need for more integrative and collaborative approaches in public health and behavioral health initiatives, the book covers the fundamental issues in behavioral health, including epidemiology, insurance and financing, health inequities, implementation sciences, lifespan issues, cultural responsiveness, and policy. Featuring insightful research from scholars in an interdisciplinary range of academic and professional fields, chapters fall into three distinct sections: Overview: Outlines the defining characteristics of behavioral health services and identifies significant challenges in the field At-Risk Populations: Explores critical issues for at-risk populations in need of behavioral health services, including children in school environments, youth in juvenile justice systems, and persons with developmental disabilities, among others Services Delivery: Presents a rationale for greater integration of health and behavioral health services, and contextualizes this explanation within global trends in behavioral health policy, systems, and services An in-depth textbook for graduate students studying public health, behavioral health, social work policy, and medical sociology, as well as a useful reference for behavioral health professionals and policy makers, Foundations of Behavioral Health provides a global perspective for practice and policy in behavioral health. It promotes better understanding of the importance of integrating population health and behavioral health services, with an eye towards improving and sustaining public health and behavioral health from national, regional, and global perspectives.

Make Internet medical research simpler and more productive! The rapid proliferation of Web sites makes finding medical information easy. Knowing when the information is accurate and reliable can be much more difficult. Health Care Resources on the Internet: A Guide for Librarians and Health Care Consumers discusses how to locate, evaluate, and use health care information available in online form. As expectations shift from finding information in books to locating it on the World Wide Web, Health Care Resources on the Internet provides you with the skills you need. Whether you?re a first-time Internet user unfamiliar with search engines or an old hand at Boolean logic, you will find helpful search tips and strategies. Moreover, this comprehensive book offers specific advice on assessing the reliability of the information you find. Health Care Resources on the Internet simplifies your hunt for information by recommending trustworthy Web sites. It covers topics including: consumer and professional megasites for health care information using Medline searching for information on specific diseases finding open clinical trials consumer health information alternative medicine Illustrated with tables and figures, Health Care Resources on the Internet is an essential guidebook for health-conscious consumers, information professionals, and medical professionals.