Helping Families with Troubled Children: A Preventive Approach

 Helping Families with Troubled Children: A Preventive Approach 
 Carole Sutton, John Wiley & Sons Ltd
 ISBN: 13978047001550,
 £24.99

 STAR RATING: 4/5

This is a comprehensive text for helping children and their families, which focuses on early intervention and prevention, writes Val Brooks.

The frontispiece is a useful tool in understanding prevention and risk from birth to adulthood to reduce the risk of antisocial behaviour.

The author acknowledges a dearth of studies regarding black families, which means we must be constantly aware of diversity when using the tools the book suggests.

There are flowcharts and diagrams to assist in carrying out assessments, which if put into practice should help prevent “drift” when we work with families.

The book lacks a chapter on the relationship between the preventive and specialist children’s services, and the crucial role of consultation, to build on knowledge bases and expertise. All of which would further equip practitioners in the field of child mental health.

This second edition includes the latest research findings making much use of cognitive behavioural therapy and social learning theory, all current evidence based ways of working. Prevention and early intervention is a cost-effective positive approach to support families.

Val Brooks is service lead, CAMHS, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust