This book maps the current state of policy, service provision and funding for mental health care across Europe, taking into account the differing historical contexts that have shaped both the development and the delivery of services.

The increasing number of refugees, asylum seekers, and irregular migrants poses a challenge for mental health services in Europe. This review found that these groups are exposed to risk factors for mental disorders before, during, and after migration. The prevalence of psychotic, mood, and substance-use disorders in these groups varies but overall resembles that in the host populations. Refugees and asylum seekers, however, have higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder. Poor socioeconomic conditions are associated with increased rates of depression five years after resettlement. Refugees, asylum seekers, and irregular migrants encounter barriers to accessing mental health care. Good practice for mental health care includes promoting social integration, developing outreach services, coordinating health care, providing information on entitlements and available services, and training professionals to work with these groups. These actions require resources and organizational flexibility.

Policy determines much of what nurses actually do on a daily basis, which means it is essential for nurses to engage with policy if they are to understand their own practice. Mental health nursing in particular has been shaped by a variety of policy factors in the past fifty years. In this new textbook, edited by the mental health advisor to the Royal College of Nursing, a range of experts in their field introduce the essential elements of mental health policy to students and experienced practitioners. The book covers a broad range of areas, including settings for care and the historical context, policy affecting various diagnoses and service user groups, and how policy is translated into action. Clinical examples are drawn on throughout, to help students think about the real-life context of what can be a difficult subject. It will be essential reading for pre-registration mental health nursing students, and valuable to those working in practice who want to gain an understanding of policy.

There are wide inconsistencies between, and even within, countries in how community-orientated care is defined and interpreted. The analysis presented in this book take as a starting point an evidence-based balanced care model in which services are provided in community settings close to the populations served, with hospital stays being reduced as far as possible, usually located in acute wards in general hospitals. The surprising conclusion from the research is that the same problems arise in all countries, regardless of resource status, and thus the recommendations of this book apply to mental health provision everywhere. This book reviews the implementation of community-orientated care using the balanced care model. It summarizes the steps, obstacles and mistakes that have been encountered in the implementation of community mental health care worldwide and presents guidelines on how to avoid them. It proposes realistic and achievable recommendations for the development and implementation of community-orientated mental health care over the next ten years. These guidelines will be of practical use to psychiatrists and other mental health and public health practitioners at all levels worldwide, including policy makers, commissioners, funders, non-governmental organisations, service users and carers. A core message of the book is that the mental health sector will more powerfully advocate for better services in future through strong and unified alliances, especially with powerful representation from consumer/service user and carer groups. Community-orientated care draws on a wide range of practitioners, providers, care and support systems (both professional and non-professional), though particular components may play a larger or lesser role in different settings depending on the local context and the available resources, especially trained staff. Research by a WPA task force has demonstrated that most of the challenges are common and global, but with local variations. The book is therefore relevant to psychiatrists and mental health workers in developed countries who are trying to deliver better health care on reduced budgets and for those in the developing economies who are in the position to modernise their mental health care. It provides clear, concise guidance on policy and practice decisions, learning from what has and has not worked in regions in the world. The book contains many tables documenting the evidence, supported by an essential reference list, and a Key Points summary for each chapter. Highly Commended in the Psychiatry section of the 2012 BMA Book Awards.

This book describes clearly how legislation can be used to advance the rights and entitlements of people with mental health problems. Straightforward and practical, it provides useful information on how to address disabilities so these people may enjoy full citizenship. It presents the key issues succinctly and illustrates these with legislative examples from around the world. This book documents the role that law can play, at all levels, in combating such discrimination and abuse.

This particular report brings together evidence from a wide range of individuals and organizations, and relates to the European Commission Green Paper of October 2005, Improving the mental health of the population: towards a strategy on mental health for the European Union, (http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/mental/green_paper/mental_gp_en.pdf), which itself followed on from a World Health Organization conference in January 2005 between health ministers, discussing mental health problems across Europe (ISBN 9789289013772). Various health studies have shown an increase in mental health problems across Europe, with one in four adults experiencing some kind of mental health problem in any one year, often the result of anxiety disorder or depression, or sometimes the result of a more severe mental disorder, such as schizophrenia. Also, high rates of emotional and behavioural disorders among children and adolescents, as well as mental health problems among older people have been observed. The impact on individuals and families is enormous, and the cost to the economy is estimated at over £77 billion every year. The European Union Committee believes a wider public recognition is needed on the impact of mental health problems in the UK. The European Union has a role to play in promoting better mental health and delivering better services, and facilitating the exchange of information and best practice. The report is divided into 11 chapters, and 5 appendices. Chapters cover such topics as: defining mental well-being; the social and economic impact; human rights issues; social exclusion, stigma and discrimination; mental health issues for population sub-groups

International human rights law challenges core tenets of mental health law, policy and practice. This book explores this challenge.