Sociology of Mental Disorder

by William C. Cockerham

Overview

The twelfth edition of the Sociology of Mental Disorder presents the major issues and research findings on the influence of race, social class, gender, and age on the incidence and prevalence of mental disorders. The text also examines the institutions that help those with mental disorders, mental health law, and public policy.

Many important updates are new to this edition:

• The mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are examined.
• Aging and mental health is discussed in more detail.
• Updated review of gender differences in mental disorder.
• A revised and more in-depth discussion of mental health and race.
• Problems in the community care of the mentally ill are covered.
• Updates of research and citations throughout.

Blending foundational concepts and sociological perspectives on mental health issues with newer studies and accounts in an accessible and authoritative survey of the field, the new edition of Sociology of Mental Disorder remains an essential text and an invaluable resource for students and scholars.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032526041
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	05/02/2024
Edition description:	12th ed.
Pages:	412
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

William C. Cockerham is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Chair Emeritus at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Research Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park. He previously held a joint appointment in sociology and psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is past President of the Research Committee on Health Sociology of the International Sociological Association and formerly served on the editorial boards of the American Sociological Review, the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Society and Mental Health, Social Currents, and other journals. Dr Cockerham has published numerous peer-reviewed papers in academic journals and is author or editor of 20 books. His most recent books from Routledge include Sociological Theories of Health and Illness (2021), Medical Sociology, 15th edition (2021), and The COVID-19 Reader: The Science and What It Says About the Social (2021).

Read an Excerpt

PREFACE:

Preface

This book presents the major issues and research findings found in the abundant sociological literature on mental disorder. Although a subfield of medical sociology, the study of mental health is a significant area of sociological inquiry. Numerous books and research papers have been published by sociologists on mental problems. For example, a contents analysis of the American Sociological Association's Journal of Health and Social Behavior for the past several years discloses that nearly as many articles are published on some aspect of mental health as are published on physical health. Medical sociologists constitute one of the largest groups of scholars in sociology worldwide. The focus on mental health issues by many scholars has not only resulted in a large volume of research; it has also increased the number of courses taught on this subject in universities. The fifth edition of this book represents a continuing effort to summarize and analyze the direction of the field.

The title of this book, Sociology of Mental Disorder, reflects its contents and orientation. I used the word "disorder" in the title rather than "illness" because illness is a medical term that involves consideration of topics focusing more or less exclusively on medicine and biology rather than the social features of mentally disordered behavior. I don't use the phrase "mental health" because mental health can be positive or negative, and sociologists typically study the negative features of mental health as a phenomenon causing disruptions or disorder in social relationships. Consequently, the term "mental disorder" more accurately reflectssociological concerns.

Although the conclusions expressed in this book are solely the responsibility of the author, other individuals provided extremely helpful comments. A note of appreciation is due to the following colleagues who contributed comments on the various editions of this book: John Collette, University of Utah; Gary A. Cretser, California Polytechnic University (Pomona); Norman K. Denzin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Robert Emerick, San Diego State University; Hugh Floyd, University of New Orleans; John W. Fox, University of Northern Colorado; David D. Franks, Virginia Commonwealth University; Sharon Guten, Case Western Reserve University; Michael Hughes, Virginia Polytechnic and State University; John E. Johnson, SUNY-Plattsburgh; Jeffrey Kamakahi, University of Central Arkansas; Matt Kinkley, Lima Technical College; Michael Radelet, University of Florida; Frederick O. Rasmussen, Rutgers University; Paul Roman, Tulane University; Martha L. Shwayder, Metropolitan State University; Neil J. Smelser, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford; Stephen P. Spitzer, University of Minnesota; Raymond Weinstein, University of South Carolina at Aiken; R. Blair Wheaton, University of Toronto; and Mark Winton, University of Central Florida.

William C. Cockerham
Birmingham, Alabama

Table of Contents

1 Madness and Society 2 Types of Mental Disorders 3 Becoming Mentally Disordered: The Examples of Schizophrenia, Anxiety, and Depression 4 Mental Disorder: Concepts of Causes and Cures 5 Mental Disorder as Deviant Social Behavior 6 Mental Disorder: Social Epidemiology 7 Mental Disorder: Social Class 8 Mental Disorder: Age, Gender, and Marital Status 9 Mental Disorder: Race 10 Mental Disorder: Urban versus Rural Living, COVID-19, and Migration 11 Help-Seeking Behavior and the Prepatient Experience 12 Patienthood in Institutions 13 Stigma 14 Community Care and Public Policy 15 Mental Disorder and the Law 16 Mental Disorder and Public Policy in Selected Countries

Preface

PREFACE:

Preface

This book presents the major issues and research findings found in the abundant sociological literature on mental disorder. Although a subfield of medical sociology, the study of mental health is a significant area of sociological inquiry. Numerous books and research papers have been published by sociologists on mental problems. For example, a contents analysis of the American Sociological Association's Journal of Health and Social Behavior for the past several years discloses that nearly as many articles are published on some aspect of mental health as are published on physical health. Medical sociologists constitute one of the largest groups of scholars in sociology worldwide. The focus on mental health issues by many scholars has not only resulted in a large volume of research; it has also increased the number of courses taught on this subject in universities. The fifth edition of this book represents a continuing effort to summarize and analyze the direction of the field.

The title of this book, Sociology of Mental Disorder, reflects its contents and orientation. I used the word "disorder" in the title rather than "illness" because illness is a medical term that involves consideration of topics focusing more or less exclusively on medicine and biology rather than the social features of mentally disordered behavior. I don't use the phrase "mental health" because mental health can be positive or negative, and sociologists typically study the negative features of mental health as a phenomenon causing disruptions or disorder in social relationships. Consequently, the term "mental disorder" more accuratelyreflectssociological concerns.

Although the conclusions expressed in this book are solely the responsibility of the author, other individuals provided extremely helpful comments. A note of appreciation is due to the following colleagues who contributed comments on the various editions of this book: John Collette, University of Utah; Gary A. Cretser, California Polytechnic University (Pomona); Norman K. Denzin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Robert Emerick, San Diego State University; Hugh Floyd, University of New Orleans; John W. Fox, University of Northern Colorado; David D. Franks, Virginia Commonwealth University; Sharon Guten, Case Western Reserve University; Michael Hughes, Virginia Polytechnic and State University; John E. Johnson, SUNY-Plattsburgh; Jeffrey Kamakahi, University of Central Arkansas; Matt Kinkley, Lima Technical College; Michael Radelet, University of Florida; Frederick O. Rasmussen, Rutgers University; Paul Roman, Tulane University; Martha L. Shwayder, Metropolitan State University; Neil J. Smelser, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford; Stephen P. Spitzer, University of Minnesota; Raymond Weinstein, University of South Carolina at Aiken; R. Blair Wheaton, University of Toronto; and Mark Winton, University of Central Florida.

William C. Cockerham
Birmingham, Alabama

Editorial Reviews

Updating earlier editions from 1981 to 2000, Cockerham (U. of Alabama- Birmingham) summarizes the major issues and research findings in the sociological literature on mental disorder. Though the field is a subspecialty of medical sociology, he believes the information to be relevant to sociologists in general. He discusses such aspects as types of mental disorder, urban versus rural living, the mental hospital patient, and the law. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Fifteen contributions by sociologists cover the historical problem and types of mental disorders; concepts of causes and cures; mental disorder as deviant behavior; the interplay between mental disorder and class, age, gender, marital status, urban versus rural life, and race; and topics including prepatient help- seeking behavior; the mental hospital inpatient and postpatient experience; and community care, policy, and law in the US and selected countries. First edition published in 1981. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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