Nursing in Child and Adolescent Mental Health

"This book considers the range of skills and roles that nurse's now undertake within specialist CAMHS, it provides a good basic introduction for nurses and clinicians from other disciplines. Discussion around medication management as part of a nurse's extended role is timely and will be of particular use to those considering this option within their practice. The text is easily accessible, utilising case studies to enhance learning. The inclusion of research and audit helps raise the need not only for nurses to be more involved in research but also the need for clinicians to evaluate their practice. I would recommend this text to clinicians new to CAMHS."
Sharon Pagett, Senior Lecturer, Mental Health (CAMHS), Department of Nursing, University of Central Lancashire, UK

"Nurses have a key role to play within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team. Yet there are few textbooks devoted to the specialist and advanced roles which many undertake within this field of practice. This text will fill the void addressing legal and ethical issues while focusing upon clinical practice and the application of theoretical concepts."
Fiona Smith, Adviser in Children's and Young People's Nursing, Royal College of Nursing, UK

This book focuses on child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) for nurses training and working in this field. The authors explore the various roles CAMH nurses fulfil and consider how these roles might be undertaken with confidence.

Drawing upon both the academic evidence available, and grounded in the reality of clinical practice, the book looks at how to assess the different issues and the various interventions used in practice. The authors consider the effect of child and family development on mental health, as well as broader factors influencing mental health and well-being. Among the core issues considered are:

• Definitions and consequences of mental health, illness and stigma
• Child development
• Legislative frameworks
• Assessment skills
• Therapeutic work: individual counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, family work and medication
• Clinical governance and supervision
• Research

Chapters include case scenarios, clinical applications and boxes highlighting the key context issues.

Nursing in Child and Adolescent Mental Health is relevant to nurses at all levels, but is especially useful to postgraduate nurses and nurses in specialist child and adolescent mental health services (SCAMHS). Other professional staff will also find it useful.

Contributors: Laurence Baldwin, P. Mani Das Gupta, Clay Frake, Neil Hemstock, Michael Hodgkinson, Sarah Hogan, Cath Kitchen, Peter Nolan, Theresa Norris, Ged Rogers, Noreen Ryan, Mervyn Townley, Panos Vostanis and Richard Williams.