In this groundbreaking book, the authors dispute the concept of autism and explore the cultural and political reasons why the number of those diagnosed with it has increased over the years. This is a must-read for students studying autism and related disorders as well as practitioners working in the mental health services.

Challenging existing approaches to autism that limit, and sometimes damage, the individuals who attract and receive the label, this book questions the lazy prejudices and assumptions that can surround autism as a diagnosis in the 21st Century.Arguing that autism can only be understood through examining 'it' as a socially or culturally produced phenomenon, the authors offer a critique of the medical model that has produced a perpetually marginalising approach to autism, and explain ...

This bestseller provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of counselling and psychotherapy.

The fourth edition of the bestselling An Introduction to Family Therapy provides an overview of the core concepts informing family therapy and systemic practice, covering the development of this innovative field from the 1950s to the present day.

This book provides a sociological analysis of major areas of mental health and illness.

Exam board: International BaccalaureateLevel: IB DiplomaSubject: PsychologyFirst teaching: September 2017First exams: Summer 2019Everything you need to navigate the IB Diploma Psychology course; ensure full coverage of the syllabus with a comprehensive guide to all the concepts, theories and research into approaches to understanding behaviour, presented with a cr...

Mick Cooper and John McLeod pioneer a major new framework for counselling theory, practice and research - the ′pluralistic′ approach. This model breaks away from the orientation-specific way in which counselling has traditionally been taught, reflecting and responding to shifts in counselling and psychotherapy training.As accessible and engaging as ever, Cooper and McLeod argue that there is no one right way of doing therapy and that different clients need different things at diffe...

It is only in the past 20 years that the concept of 'recovery' from mental health has been more widely considered and researched. Before then, it was generally considered that 'stability' was the best that anyone suffering from a mental disorder could hope for. But now it is recognised that, throughout their mental illness, many patients develop new beliefs, feelings, values, attitudes, and ways of dealing with their disorder. The notion of recovery from mental illness is thus rapidly bein...

Since first being identified as a distinct psychiatric disorder in 1943, autism has been steeped in contestation and controversy. Present-day skirmishes over the potential causes of autism, how or even if it should be treated, and the place of Asperger’s syndrome on the autism spectrum are the subjects of intense debate in the research community, in the media, and among those with autism and their families. Bringing together innovative work on autism by international scholars in the social...

A growing body of research shows that social networks and identities have a profound impact on mental and physical health. With such mounting evidence of the importance of social relationships in protecting health, the challenge we face is explaining why this should be the case. What is it that social groups offer that appears to be just as beneficial as a daily dose of vitamin C or regular exercise?This edited book brings together the latest research on how group memberships, and ...

Ethical issues inherent in psychiatric research and clinical practice are invariably complex and multi-faceted. Well-reasoned ethical decision-making is essential to deal effectively with patients and promote optimal patient care. Drawing on the positive reception of Psychiatric Ethics since its first publication in 1981, this highly anticipated 5th edition offers psychiatrists and other mental health professionals a coherent guide to dealing with the diverse ethical issues that c...

Human behaviour is marvellous in its complexity, variability and unpredictability. Understanding it, however, is not solely the role of psychologists: everyone has a vested interest in it, from individuals to organisations and industry. Recently, biologists and psychologists have had considerable success incorporating insights from evolutionary theory to help them understand some fundamental psychological issues, in a discipline now known as evolutionary psychology. However, to date, these...