Choosing Methods in Mental Health Research

Mike Slade is Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Health Services Research Department at the Institute of Psychiatry and a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in Rehabilitation, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust Stefan Priebe is Professor of Social and Community Psychiatry at Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary, University of London. He has published widely on concepts, therapeutic processes and outcomes in mental health care.

• Goldberg, Foreword. Slade, Priebe, Preface. Part I: Research Methods. Slade, Priebe, Who is Research For? Wilson, Single Case Experimental Designs. McCabe, Conversation Analysis. Harper, Discourse Analysis. Henwood, Grounded Theory. Wessely, Randomised Controlled Trials. Gilbody, Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis. Jenkins, Meltzer, Brugha, Gupta, Surveys. Part II: Consumers of Research. Walters, Tylee, Influencing Practice at Primary Care Level. Burns, Influencing Community Mental Health Team Practice to Improve Care Outcomes. Pinfold, Thornicroft, Influencing the Public Perception of Mental Illness. Petit-Zeman, Influencing the Media. Holloway, Influencing Policy in the United Kingdom. Puschner, Kunze, Becker, Influencing Policy in Germany. Burti, Influencing Policy in Italy. Hansson, Influencing Policy in Sweden. Lyons, Witt, Influencing Policy in the United States. Part III: Generating High-impact Research. Busfield, The Evidence Context in Mental Health Research. Beresford, A Service User Perspective on Evidence. Bracken, Thomas, Postmodern Mental Health Services. Priebe, Slade, Research Production and Consumption.

'This book fulfils an undoubted need, with clear descriptions of different research methods written by informed enthusiasts'. - David Goldberg, from the foreword'This book fills a significant, and hitherto invisible, gap in the literature on psychiatric research. Because of its philosophical depth and its awareness of the political dimensions of mental health research, it deserves a place on the shelf of anyone who seeks to answer questions about mental disorder.’ - Dr Mark Salter, Barts and The London Chronicle, Spring Volume 9, issue 2‘Bracken and Thomas’s account of the inherent difficulties in trying to move mental health services from a modernist to a post-modern perspective should be compulsory reading for all researchers and clinical staff.’ – Lesley Warner, Mental Health Today, July/August 2007‘There is a lot to like in this edited book. The chapters are well written, with little unnecessary overlap between them (…) The authors point out limitations as well as listing research areas where qualitative methods can be uniquely valuable. A particular strength is a detailed look at specific projects such as a conversation analysis of consultations between psychiatrists and people with psychosis’ – Dave Peck, Clinical Psychology Forum 184, April 2008