Editors: Selby C. Jacobs, MD; and Jeanne l. Steiner, DO
Publisher: Oxford University Press – 291 pages
Book Review by: Sonu Chandiram

The term ‘public psychiatry’ began to be used in the 1960s to distinguish this field of endeavor from ‘community’ psychiatry and ‘social’ psychiatry which came to mean ‘grassroots’ work.

‘Public psychiatry’ refers to “the use of clinical techniques, management skills and evaluation strategies within established institutions serving populations with social as well as psychiatric needs: patients with severe mental illness and other major social psychiatric problems such as substance abuse, homelessness and AIDS, as well as members of poor urban and suburban minorities.”

“These groups cannot or do not purchase services of their own choosing, and must rely on public funding (emphasis mine) and services,” according to a description by the Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, about their public psychiatric fellowship.

Seventy-four people, all faculty members of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, Yale School of Nursing, Yale Child Study Center, and Yale School of Public Health wrote the 19 chapters of this book, as we list below to give you an overview:

  1. Introduction and Significance
  2. Part I – The Service System of Public Psychiatry
  3. The Service System of Public Psychiatry
  4. Recovery and Recovery-Oriented Service
  5. Community Support and Inclusion
  6. Part II – System Integration Challenges in Public Psychiatry
  7. Integrated Health Care
  8. Substance Use Disorders and Systems of Care
  9. Public Health Concepts in Public Psychiatry
  10. The Interplay Between Forensic Psychiatry and Public Psychiatry
  11. Services and Clinical Competencies of Public Psychiatry
  12. Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults
  13. Early Intervention and Prevention for Psychotic Disorders
  14. Hospital Services
  15. Outpatient Behavioral Care Services
  16. Clinical Competence in Outreach and for Special Populations
  17. Cultural Competence and Public Psychiatry
  18. Global Mental Health
  19. System Development in Public Psychiatry
  20. Education and Workforce Development in Public Psychiatry
  21. Evidence-Based Public Psychiatry
  22. Administrative Best Practices in Public Psychiatry
  23. Conclusions and Future Challenges

The contributors specialize in many areas of mental health, including: acute services, addiction, behavioral health, career and educational development, clinical research, forensic psychiatry, Hispanic services, law, prevention, psychosocial and residential rehabilitation, social work, substance abuse, tobacco treatment, treatment outcomes research, veterans services, wellness, and young adult services.

Public psychiatry has as its principal focus the treatment of people who have serious mental illnesses (SMIs) and/or substance use disorders (SUDs), according to the authors of the first chapter – Introduction and Significance – and special clinical competencies are required for successful outcomes in this area of work.

Among the important features of a public psychiatry practice are, as outlined in the Educational Highlights, a boxed section at the beginning of this chapter and all others in this book:

  • Community-based practice
  • Cultural competence
  • Evidence-based practice
  • Family and peer satisfaction
  • Interdisciplinary teams
  • Integrated practice
  • Person-centered care
  • Population-based
  • Quality assurance
  • Recovery orientation

All chapters in this book have the components listed below, as well as visual features such as charts and tables, making studying, remembrance, and retention easier:

  • Educational Highlights
  • Introduction
  • Discussions of Topics and Subtopics
  • Summary
  • References

This is an excellent textbook on public psychiatry. It is authoritative, written by experienced professionals.

 

Editors:

Selby C. Jacobs, MD is Professor Emeritus and Attending Psychiatrist at Hispanic Clinic, and Former Director of Connecticut Mental Health Center.

Jeanne l. Steiner, DO is Associate Professor and Medical Director of Connecticut Mental Health Center, and Director of the Yale Fellowship in Public Psychiatry.