The Prevention of Mental Illness in Primary Care

In these days of increasing international emphasis on care in the community and pressure on resources, the prevention of mental illness within primary care is becoming an important consideration. Up to a third of patients presenting to primary care services are suffering from psychological problems and the large majority are dealt with by the primary health care team. It is now recognised that many of these problems could be identified and tackled earlier in order to prevent their progression, the development of complications and subsequent relapses. Within this volume, experts from a wide range of primary and mental health care disciplines discuss issues ranging from primary prevention and health psychology through secondary prevention with the early identification of symptoms to tertiary prevention including the care and management of the long-term mentally ill. With full reference to the current state of research, emphasis has been given to practical measures that can be readily utilised in the primary care setting. This handbook will serve as an invaluable resource for all those with interests in the protection and conservation of mental health.