The Mental Health Desk Reference

December 1, 2001
A wide range of practice-based topics are addressed in this fact-packed reference book for mental health professionals. Divided into nine major sections, it covers both practical and ethical concerns. The first section focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of common mental illnesses through the life cycle and includes issues relating to specific groups, crisis interventions, and practice management concerns. This is followed by discussions of legal/ethical issues and how mental health workers can cope with the formidable demands and stresses (e.g., compassion fatigue and burnout) of their occupations. The chapters are succinct, typically including statistics, current research, statements of the "best practice," and notable bibliographies. The editors, both professors of counseling at Cleveland State University, have done an admirable job of assembling into a coherent whole contributions from more than 70 experts from a variety of fields. The result is a wealth of useful information handily packaged for the working professional. The practical, direct, and authoritative tone of the book makes it suitable for a diverse audience needing a bridge between the divergent worlds of practice and multidisciplinary research in the field. Recommended for specialized collections serving mental healthcare providers. Antoinette Brinkman, MLS, Evansville, IN

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.