Social Inclusion and Mental Health: Understanding Poverty, Inequality and Social Exclusion

People with mental health conditions are among the most socially  excluded groups in society. Mental health conditions are influenced by  the social environment, which in turn shapes our social and cultural  responses to the people who experience them. Much of what mental health  practitioners do is 'essentially social' and the effects of their  interventions are hampered by the marginalised status of many of the  people that they see. This book documents the ways in which people with  mental health conditions are excluded from participating in society and  offers some pointers as to how this may be reversed. It highlights the  need to reduce mental health inequalities and to consider the importance  of material inequalities and social injustices faced by people  experiencing mental ill-health. Whilst the challenges are considerable  and the solutions wide-ranging, mental health practitioners can play a  significant role in facilitating the social inclusion of those with  mental health conditions.