In his role as a child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr Dikel supports professionals working in a variety of settings, varying from general education classrooms to self-contained special education programmes for severely emotionally disturbed students. In this book, he aims to provide a wide range of professionals with information about children’s mental health issues. He also reviews the nature of mental health disorders affecting children and adolescents and how they manifest within school. His key message is that schools are increasingly aware of the need to address these issues and that fostering collaborations between educators, parents and mental health professionals can lead to successful interventions.
The book is divided into five parts that cover a variety of topics, like ‘Why Schools Should Be Concerned with Students’ Mental Health’, ‘Types of Mental Health Disorders Affecting Children and Adolescents’ and ‘School Practices to Promote Learning’.
Each chapter follows the same format, with short case studies and linked reflective questions that aid the reader in applying the content to their own context. While this book is written from a U.S. perspective, it offers a detailed and extensively informed overview of the impact of mental health issues on all parties. Dikel makes links between these issues and the student’s ability to learn and provides practical, evidence-based interventions that can be implemented in the school setting. This is an updated and expanded edition that draws on the most current research and is of value to a wide range of professionals working with vulnerable students.
Author: W. Dikel, MD, Publisher: WW Norton & Company, ISBN: 978-0-393-71412-8, £25.00.
Author: Mary Mountstephen
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