Winner of the BMA Medical Book of the Year 2006! 'This text is the reference text in this field. There is no other that comes close in its breadth and depth of coverage' Colin Dawson, The College of St Mark and St John, Plymouth, UK How have sociologists theorized and researched mental health and illness? In what ways do sociologists approach this topic differently to those from other disciplines? How do we understand mental health problems in their social context? This bestselling book provides a clear overview of the major aspects of the sociology of mental health and illness, and helps students to develop a critical approach to the subject. In this new edition, the authors update each of the chapters, taking into consideration recent relevant literature from social science and social psychiatry. A new chapter has been included on the impact of stigma, which covers an analysis of the responses of the lay public to mental health and illness and representations of mental health (particularly in the media) in a post-institutional context. A Sociology of Mental Health and Illness is a key teaching and learning resource for undergraduates and postgraduates studying a range of medical sociology and health-related courses, as well as trainee mental health workers in the fields of social work, nursing, clinical psychology and psychiatry.