<P>Mental health issues affect many members of society, either directly through personal mental health problems, or indirectly through their impact on family and friends supporting those who suffer from mental illness. The social and economic burden of mental illness is considerable and, within the Western world, such problems appear to have increased in recent years. This volume examines a variety of issues related to mental health from the perspective of contemporary research, policy, and practice. The editors have put together material that is sometimes novel and certainly eclectic in nature, including contributions from the research, practitioner, and policy environments</P>