Aneshensel Carol S., Phelan Jo C. (Editors). Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health

Springer Science-Business Media, LLC, 1999. — 627 p. — ISBN 0-387-32516-6 (soft cover), ISBN 978-0387-32516-3, ISBN 0-306-46069-6 (hard cover). — (Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research).Most of this handbook is devoted to the explanation of one elementary observation: Disorder is not uniformly distributed throughout society, but occurs more densely within some social strata than others. The explanation of social variation in risk has engaged the attention of sociologists since the earliest community-based surveys revealed an inverse association with socioeconomic status. It continues to do so.
This book is about people who suffer, and it is fitting to recognize and appreciate their pain. Thus, we acknowledge the many people whose lives have been affected by mental illness and whose life experiences are reflected at least partially in the content of this book. We are especially indebted to the persons who participated in the various research projects recounted here. These individuals have generously taken the time to tell us their stories, answer our questions, and fill out our forms, even though these activities were at times painful or at the very least tedious. Our debt to these persons is enormous, far greater than we can acknowledge here.