Ved P.Varma PhD is a former educational psychologist. He has edited a number of books, including How and Why Children Hate, How and Why Children Fail, and Violence in Children and Adolescents for Jessica Kingsley.

• Foreword, Myra Fulford, Director, The Manic Depressive Fellowship, UK. Professor Hugh Freeman: An Appreciation, Dennis Friedman, Honorary Lecturer in Psychiatry, St Bartholemew's Hospital, London. Introduction, Ved Varma. 1. Manic Depressive Illness: Services, David Kingdon, Medical Director, Nottingham Health Care Trust. 2. What Psychodynamic Approaches Can Do to Help, Charles Lund, Consultant Psychiatrist, Royal Victoria Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne. 3. What a Cognitive Behavioural Approach Can Do To Help, Alison Jenaway, Clinical Research Associate and Denis O'Leary, Clinical Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge. 4. What Psychologists Can Do to Help, Anne Palmer, Clinical Psychologist, Hellesden Hospital, Norwich and Paul Gilbert, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, University of Derby. 5. What Social Work Can Do to Help, Jean Nursten, Professor of Social Work, University of Reading. 6. What Nurses Can Do to Help, Paul Needham, Senior Lecturer in Health Sciences, Thames Valley University. 7. What Relatives and Friends Can Do to Help, Eia K Asen, Consultant Psychiatrist, Maudsley Hospital and Marlborough Family Consultation Centre, London. 8. What Drugs Can Do to Help, Jill Rasmussen, Clinical Psychopharmacologist, Surrey and Cosmo Hallstrom, Consultant Psychiatrist, The Charter Clinic, London. 9 What Hospitals Can Do to Help, Khaver Bashir, Research Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, University of London and Malcolm Weller, Consultant Psychiatrist, St Ann's Hospital. 10. What Group Therapy Can Do to Help, Maurice Greenberg, Head of Student Counselling Service, University College London, Consultant Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, Camden and Islington NHS Community Health Services Trust and Group-Analytic Practice, London. 11. What Occupational Therapy Can Do to Help, Mandy J. Sainty, Occupational Therapist and Quality Development Facilitator, Mid Essex Community and Mental Health NHS Trust, Witham, Essex. 12. A Guide to Self-Management, David Guinness, Chair of The Manic Depressive Fellowship, UK. Author Index. Subject Index.

`There is agreement throughout the text that no single 'cure' works for everyone and that the objective of treatment is to help patients 'manage' their lives in a way which reduces the severity and number of episodes experienced and improves psychosocial functioning in between. The professional contributions by a social worker, occupational therapist , psychologist and nurse on their particular roles were based mainly on case examples. These chapters hopefully will be of interest to users of mental health services who often find the input of different professionals difficult to distinguish and to evaluate. In conclusion I might add that because of the shortage of readable material on manic depression for a non-medical audience, this book is welcome.'