'The guidance to family and friends is clear and concise...it suggests that sufferers can have an impact on the move towards improved health, rather than feeling they 'can't do anything' and experiencing the attendant feelings of despair. It should be available in every GP practice!.'
JO BRAND, comedian, writer and former psychiatric nurse

We are supposed to be living in enlightened times, yet more people than ever are suffering from mental health problems. In fact statistics show one in four of us will experience some kind of mental health disorder in the course of our life, one in six will suffer from depression most commonly between the ages of 25 and 44, one in ten people are likely to suffer from disabling anxiety at some stage in their life

The Mind: A User’s Guide aims to inform and empower anyone who has experience of a mental health problem, or who has an interest in safeguarding or improving their own emotional well-being. Edited by Dr Raj Persaud, with contributions from distinguished experts, this invaluable guide has been published in collaboration with the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It provides accessible, jargon-free information on the latest research into brain and mind sciences, and gives distinctive descriptions of behaviour, feelings and thoughts relating to a wide variety of conditions.

In addition to clarifying and helping us to understand symptoms, treatments and therapies, The Mind also challenges the stigma so often associated with mental health issues, and the damaging myths and misconceptions that may prevent people from seeking professional help.

Given how common mental health problems are throughout our lifespan, The Mind: A User’s Guide could prove to be the most valuable reference book you own.

I have read this with great interest and appreciation. It will be an invaluable, reader-friendly guide to mental health and its treatment.
PROFESSOR DAVID LODGE

Mental health has been a taboo subject for far too long. This book blows away the shrouds of misunderstanding and stigma with clear, accessible information and case studies. Every home should have a copy.
VIVIENNE PARRY, JOURNALIST AND BROADCASTER