Mental Health and Social Work

1. Introduction and Overview, Anne Connor, independent consultant and Marion Ulas, University of Edinburgh. 2. Policy in to Practice: Creative Tension or Deadlock? 3. Community-Based Mental Health Services, Anne Connor. 4. Policy and Management of Social Work Services: The Mental Welfare Commission in the Context of Inspection, Christine E. McGregor, Alzheimer Scotland - Action on Dementia. 5. Research Issues in Mental Health Social Work, Marion Ulas. 6. Social Workers as Mental Health Officers: Different Hats, Different Roles? Fiona Myers, University of Edinburgh. 7. Ethnicity and Mental Health, Suman Fernando, The Tizard Centre. 8. Depression in Old Age, Maureen O'Neill, Age Concern Scotland. 9. Maternal Depression in Child and Family Care: The Design, Development and Use of an Instrument for Research and Practice, Michael Sheppard, University of Plymouth. 10. Evaluation of Social Work Services for People with Mental Health Problems, Allyson McCollam, Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health Services and Julia White, freelance research consultant. 11. Service Users' Perspectives on Social Work Activities for People Experiencing Mental Health Problems, Julia White and Allyson McCollam. 12. Afterword, Jim Kiddie, Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

This is the latest (number 28) in the series Research Highlights In Social Work, which has provided as excellent source of material for practioners for a number of years. It builds on some of the ideas considered in an earlier volume in 1985 that looked at mental illness. The change in terminology is considered in the introduction. The editors also identify a number of other significant changes such as the growth in influence of the user movement. The main chapters are from a range of contribuitors, many of whom, reflecting the base of the series, are from Scotland. This is particularly relevant in terms of the chapters on the Mental Welfare Commission and on the role of mental health officers. These provide a refreshing change from the number of 'British' texts which tend to ignore the law outside England. I found the two chapters that consider the role of the mental health officer to be particularly informative and to be written a way that made for easy comparisons with the position of approved social workers in Nothern Ireland and England. All the chapters are well written and maintain the series' usual high standard of referencing. They look at community-based mental health services, ethnicity and mental health, depression in old age and service users' perspectives, among other topics. The book concludes with a comment from Jim Kiddle of the Scottish Users' Network. This text makes somes important recent research accessible and is highly recommended.