An Ethnographic Study of Mental Health Treatment and Outcomes

Learn why treatment outcomes don't always match the patient's point-of-view!

An Ethnographic Study of Mental Health Treatment and Outcomes: Doing What Works documents the treatment history of three women suffering from affective and personality disorders. The book guides you through the process of conducting qualitative/ethnographic research, providing examples of data collection techniques, analysis, and interpretation. Interviews and observations provide you with a glimpse into the world of mental health treatment from each woman's perspective and offer suggestions on interventions and group activities designed to improve treatment outcomes.

An Ethnographic Study of Mental Health Treatment and Outcomes: Doing What Works is a first-hand look at the reality of mental health treatment, where outcomes are not necessarily related to a patient's satisfaction with his or her treatment and, in fact, often have little relationship to the kind of treatment the patient has received. The book also includes research evidence on comparisons of the efficacy of individual versus group treatment, the success rate of Alcoholics Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous, the effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, and current treatment for anorexia nervosa.

An Ethnographic Study of Mental Health Treatment and Outcomes: Doing What Works will help you improve your clinical skills by exploring the treatment experiences of three women:

• Debora—40, college-educated, married with children; suffering from personality disorders, eating disorders, anxiety disorders; a survivor of childhood abuse; a survivor of several suicide attempts; chronically self-destructive
• Belinda—22, overweight, always dressed in black, self-mutilator covered in body piercings and tattoos; professional hairdresser and practicing witch; has attempted suicide; former Alcoholic Anonymous member; cocaine addict
• Cicely—late 30s, school teacher, divorced but still lives with ex-husband and two children; suffers from anorexia; child of an alcoholic; guarded, controlled, suicidal

An Ethnographic Study of Mental Health Treatment and Outcomes: Doing What Works is an intimate look at treatment from the patients' perspective, offering practical information on techniques and methods for mental health professionals, practitioners, and academics.