Living with Mental Disorder

This evidence-based text puts a human face on mental disorders, illuminating the lived experience of people with mental health difficulties and their caregivers. Providing comprehensive reviews of the qualitative research on each topic discussed, it offers insights into the perceived causes and triggers of mental illness, what is helpful in recovery and what constitutes relevant and helpful service provision.

Disorders covered included autism, mood disorders, bulimia, trauma, substance misuse, schizophrenia and dementia and each chapter provides contextual information about the disorder in question. The chapters then review any meta-syntheses already conducted before presenting a thorough and fully up-to-date meta-synthesis of the available research and comparing the results with those of the quantitative literature. Supported by numerous quotes, the text explores the perspective of participants and caregivers in terms of what they believe to be the cause of their distress, as well as what is helpful for recovery, and their experiences both with the disorder and the formal treatment system.

By focusing on qualitative research, the text offers an unprecedented depth of knowledge on the experiences of people who are affected by mental health disorders, highlighting the strengths and resilient qualities and supports people use – and have developed – in order to manage their situation. It will be of interest to students and academics interested understanding, supporting and working with people in mental distress and their families.

Jacqueline Corcoran is Professor of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University, USA.