Synopses & Reviews
Review
"In this valuable book, Agnes Hatfield continues her pioneering work of educating professionals about the knowledge and skills needed for coping with mental illness in the family. Her argument is that families need training more than they need treatment. A careful depiction of the real world of mental illness is the back drop for practical guidelines and curriculum content that will be most useful for helping families help the persons they love."--Harriet P. Lefley, Ph.D.
"FAMILY EDUCATION IN MENTAL ILLNESS, well grounded in the professional literature, is enriched by the wisdom of the hundreds of families that Hatfield has known. Through her they tell us how they feel and how we can help them. The book is must reading for any professional who is likely to come in contact with families of the mentally ill."--Kayla F. Bernheim, Ph.D.
Review
"A useful resource for mental health professionals who work with psychiatric patients and their families."--Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic
Review
"It deserves wide reading and certainly should be studies by all directors of family therapy training programs. "--Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
Review
"One of the most useful books I have seen in a long time for those of us who work with serious mental illness."--The Brown University Family Therapy Letter
Synopsis
With current trends toward family care of individuals with major mental illness, it is now generally accepted that families need a firm knowledge base and a wide range of skills in order to cope with a mentally ill relative. Toward this end, educational programs are developing all over the country. While little attention has been given to education as a discipline nor to the contributions that educational psychology can make to more effective instruction and skill development, this book is a resource that will help professionals become more effective.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 193-203) and index.
About the Author
Agnes B. Hatfield, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland. Founding member and third president of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), she currently serves as Family Education Specialist at that organization. She has served as Director of the Maryland Family Education Program for the Maryland Department of Mental Hygiene since 1982. Author of FAMILY EDUCATION IN MENTAL ILLNESS and numerous articles and book chapters, she is co-editor with Harriet Lefley of FAMILIES OF THE MENTALLY ILL: COPING AND ADAPTATION.
Table of Contents
I. THE FAMILY AND MENTAL ILLNESS.
1. The Social Context.
2. Mental Illness: A Catastrophic Event.
3. Meeting Environmental Challenges.
4. New Directions in Providing Help to Families.
II. CURRICULUM CONTENT FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.
5. Understanding Mental Illness.
6. The Personal Side of Mental Illness.
7. Treatments for Mental Illness.
8. Creating Supportive Environments.
9. Coping with Crisis Situations.
10. Planning for the Long Range.
III. EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES.
11. Learning and Instruction.
12. Teaching Problem-Solving Skills.
13. Providing Support to Families.
14. Issues in Program Development.