Mental disorders can be neither understood nor treated without considering their social context. In the last few decades, social psychiatry has amassed a considerable body of knowledge about mental disorders and the social environment. This concerns the contribution of social factors to etiology, an understanding of the social consequences of psychiatric disorders, and the use of social treatments and preventive measures. In achieving this progress, social psychiatry has benefited from the collaboration of clinicians, social scientists, and epidemiologists. However no publication has been available until now which provides an exposition of this fast-growing field. This book gives a readily assimilated account of the subject: its methods and instruments, epidemiological findings, life experiences as causes of mental disorders, the social consequences of morbidity, mental disorders in general practice, social treatments, and the evaluation of services. The book includes a comprehensive list of references and a detailed index of subjects. It is a unique resource for psychiatrists, community health workers, social workers, sociologists, medical students, and all who want to know about psychiatric disorders the the social environment.