Recovering the US Mental Healthcare System

Decades of research show that psychosocial treatments are effective for psychosis, yet they remain unimplemented as the American healthcare system relies primarily on pharmacological solutions instead. This book reviews the history and current state of research to provide a more nuanced understanding of the evidence for and barriers to psychosocial care for psychosis. It addresses a wide range of mental health research and multi-professional practice domains from historical, personal, societal, professional, and systems perspectives. The varied perspectives presented illustrate factors that limit support for recovery in SMI and psychosis as well as real hope for recovering the US mental healthcare system. With contributions of experts by training and by experience, this book represents an essential resource for students, practitioners and researchers.

'The experienced contributors in this edited book offer a rich and comprehensive blueprint for transforming our mental healthcare system. They exude passion and hope for recovery for individuals with serious mental illness and psychosis within an increasingly compassionate and just system. Readers will find invaluable the evidence-informed innovations for psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery.' Nadine J. Kaslow, Ph.D., ABPP, Emory University School of Medicine; Past President, American Psychological Association, USA, 'Stacy and Davidson have assembled a group of leading scholars to reinterpret for the 21st century the foundational concepts of recovery, psychiatric rehabilitation, and evidence-based practices. This edited volume yields surprising insights that can help guide the training of a new generation of mental health clinicians and researchers.' Gary Bond, Dartmouth Medical School, USA, 'This important book guides the reader through an often dark past greatly defined by racial and social injustice; to an earnest present that seeks to employ best, evidence-based, and humanistic practices; toward a future where true partnerships between treaters, people seeking treatment, and family members foster the development of shared understandings that will lead to genuinely healing pathways forward.' Claire Bien, President of ISPS-US and author of Hearing Voices, Living Fully, 'Highly recommended collection of essays on the history and development of recovery oriented treatments for persons diagnosed with serious mental illness within the United States. For professionals and recovering persons, this volume offers compelling views of the challenges posed by serious mental illness and very real potential for recovery.' Paul H. Lysaker, Roudebush VAMC, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, USA, 'Grounded in history and research this book embraces recovery-oriented psycho-social treatments that acknowledge, support, and respect the humanity of people experiencing psychosis or SMI. It is an invaluable reading for professionals, consumers, their families, policy makers, and any person motivated to play a part in refining the US mental health system for people suffering from psychosis. I highly recommend it!' Yulia Landa, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA

Meaghan Stacy is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and a licensed clinical psychologist. Charlie A. Davidson is a licensed psychologist at the Atlanta Center for Cognitive Therapy and Adjunct Lecturer at Emory University.