Review

Understanding minds

A Sociology Of Mental Health And Illness
David Pilgrim and Anne Rogers
Open University Press, 1993

A Sociology Of Mental Health And Illness.

David Pilgrim and Anne Rogers.

Open University Press, 1993.

This is a welcome addition to the growing literature on social aspects of mental illness and mental health. It is aimed at ‘social science undergraduates and trainee mental health workers’. As such, the text covers a wide range of issues and a diversity of perspectives that can offer a broad foundation of understanding. It is clearly written and extensive referencing to further work is included.

Chapter one deals with the major perspectives on mental illness and mental health, and sets the context for the ensuing chapters.

The issues inherent in dealing with problems of definition and ambiguity are clearly articulated. However, the breadth of material and level of critical discussion is necessarily limited by the nature of the book.

Further chapters examine age, gender and ethnicity from a sociological perspective. Here, the focus of the book has moved away from mental health towards mental illness. This is to some extent inevitable, since there is a dearth of material on mental health in comparison with that on mental illness.

The chapter on mental health users is a stimulating and thought provoking one which draws upon a range of recent material. The influence of the user movement is discussed in relation to the present context. Perhaps the links between this chapter and that on mental health professions could have been developed further. Either an opportunity missed or the basis for the next book!

Given the introductory intention of the authors, this book will provide a more than useful starting point for the target audience.

People already working in or intending to work in the area of mental health and mental illness should read it.