Towards a Mental Health System that Works

Michael J Scott is a Chartered Psychologist and Chartered Scientist, and has been consultant to a number of organisations. He specialises in the assessment and treatment of patients following trauma and regularly provides workshops on the cognitive behavioural treatment of psychological disorders. Michael is the editor of a published, four-volume work on traumatic stress and the author of twelve books and numerous chapters and papers.

• Part One A Public Health Approach to Mental Health 1. Mental Well-Being and Stress 2. Positive Psychology 3. Overstating Preventative Capacity and Diagnostic Creep Part Two Crystallising Mental Health Problems 4. Difficulties In Deciding Whether Something Is Wrong 5. Social Support, Psychoeducation and Psychological Disorders Part Three The Quantity and Quality of Psychological Help Available 6. Availability of Psychological Therapy Services 7. The Quality of Psychological Therapy Services Part Four Realising The Potential of Psychological Therapies 8. Creating A Mental Health System Fit for Purpose 9. Maintaining the Social Significance of Psychological Therapy 10. Wounded Healers

‘Mike Scott uncompromisingly asks the big questions and concludes the current mental health system is not fit for purpose. Crucially, many of the questions and solutions proffered are testable and act as helpful reminders of the pitfalls and challenges of service delivery. Clinicians, managers and practitioners who read this book with an open mind will experience many nudges to small as well as large service redesign. Prepare to be challenged. Readers won’t always agree with every assertion or argument. But readers will find a robust challenge to the status quo.’ - Chris Williams, Professor of Psychiatry University of Glasgow, President of the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)'Mental health and wellbeing is vitally important for individuals, families, communities, and societies. But traditionally health services have undervalued mental health and given the lion’s share of attention and resources to physical health. This situation makes no sense since it is now widely accepted that physical health is underpinned by mental health. The Cartesian divide is a delusion which, it appears from scrutiny of his writings, even Descartes did not subscribe to.There are many ways in which mental health can be addressed. One of these is adequate provision of high quality clinical support for people who are currently suffering from mental health problems. In this interesting volume Michael Scott addresses the inadequacy of current services for the task in hand and makes a very strong case for doing something to improve the situation.' - Sarah Stewart-Brown, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Warwick