The first text of its kind to organize all of the research conducted in psychiatric sociology, this prestigious and insightful book centers around the critical role played by social forces associated with mental illness—including diagnosis, causality, social epidemiology, stigma, and treatment, as well as the personal suffering of the mentally ill and their families. Written by one of the foremost psychiatric sociologists in the U.S. and Europe, it remains highly comprehensive yet significantly streamlined in its 4th edition approach—presenting evidence about the influence of social stressors in the initial development and treatment of the mentally ill throughout, with a fresh and engaging style of writing that includes many interesting real-life case studies.