This text provides an easy-to-understand introduction to mental health nursing and promotes critical thinking and practical application of concepts. The first two units acquaint students with use of the nursing process in psychiatric settings and present theoretical concepts of anxiety and crisis, grief and loss, personality development, and therapeutic communication. Subsequent units discuss specific mental disorders using a nursing process format, address special problems of children, adolescents, and older adults, and describe various treatment modalities.

Case studies and critical thinking questions are included throughout. A worksheet following each chapter presents questions to promote thinking, reasoning, and application of content.