Changing Outcomes in Psychosis: Collaborative Cases from Practitioners, Users and Carers

 Changing Outcomes in Psychosis: Collaborative Cases from Practitioners, Users and Carers
 Edited by Richard Velleman, Eric Davis, Gina Smith and Michael Drage
 Blackwell
 ISBN 1405126418,
 £24.99

 Star rating: 4/5

The book’s 14 chapters offer a positive view of interventions that can and do help individuals with varying degrees of psychosis recover, writes Georgina Wakefield.

Although the book discusses the use of various interventions, many practitioners, users and carers would argue that much of the book is what could be available in an ideal service. In reality, many trusts are starved of key resources, such as staff, which severely restricts changing outcomes. There should be more emphasis on the reality of mental health services nationally, and a move away from medically-driven outcomes.

The environment for care is not addressed and, if the therapeutic relationship is the key mechanism for change, we may have to go back to the drawing board if we truly want to create change in the person. We may need to define outcomes much more simply and anchor them to what is available.

The case studies are useful but there is a lack of cohesion in pulling theory and experience together, and some academic-style writing makes the book not as readable as it could have been.

Overall, though, this book is a fine starting point.

Georgina Wakefield is a user of mental health services and a carer for her son who has schizophrenia