Research Handbook on Society and Mental Health

Edited by Marta Elliott, Professor of Sociology, University of Nevada, Reno, US

This engaging Research Handbook offers a comprehensive overview of research on social factors and mental health, examining how important it is to consider the social context in which mental health issues arise, and are dealt with in the mental health care system. It illustrates how social factors affect the interactive process of psychiatric diagnosis and how society responds to people who are labelled as mentally ill.

‘This superb volume, edited by Marta Elliott, offers a rich and distinctly sociological exploration of classic and contemporary topics in mental health research. The authors, including emerging and eminent scholars, address core topics like stigma and medicalization as well as the mental impacts of contemporary crises like COVID-19 and environmental threats. Scholars, practitioners, and policy makers alike have much to learn from this collection.’
– Deborah Carr, Boston University, US

‘This wide-ranging and timely volume is a welcome addition to research on the social dynamics of mental health and illness. Including focused reviews and original empirical work, the contributions provide important insights on both established areas and more recent areas of concern such the COVID-19 pandemic, school shootings, and police violence.’
– Kerry Dobransky, James Madison University, US

‘In this outstanding volume, Marta Elliott assembles an impressive range of authors to present the latest thinking on both common and novel topics in mental health research. From the classic sociological roots of mental health research to critical analyses of contemporary therapies, the chapters offer fresh insights to readers who are new to the field as well as to seasoned scholars.’
– Jane D. McLeod, Indiana University, US