Social (In)Justice and Mental Health

Social (In)Justice and Mental Health introduces readers to the concept of social justice and the outsized, but often ignored, role that social injustice plays in the identification, diagnosis, and management of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The contributors are first-rate, representing diverse perspectives and expertise, and the result is a powerful, multidisciplinary text that mental health clinicians—from psychiatrists and psychologists to trainees and nurses—will find illuminating and instructive. A section on the foundations of social injustice, including chapters on the social determinants of mental health, mental health inequities, and structural racism, opens the volume. The next section moves on to systems and structures, exploring urban development and the educational, child welfare, carceral, and health care systems. The book then turns to the role of social injustice and specific diagnoses and conditions, including substance use disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders, and child trauma. Finally, the authors take up the topic of how to achieve mental health equity, addressing advocacy and reform of the mental health system and ending with a powerful call to action.

Timely, down-to-earth, and authoritative, Social (In)Justice and Mental Health reimagines the role of the mental health clinician as educator, reformer, and advocate, working for change and changing the work to promote justice for patients and families.