Encyclopedia of mental health /

The long-awaited second edition of Encyclopedia of Mental Health (CH, Sep'98, 36-0036), edited by Friedman (Univ. of California, Riverside), presents updated, expertly written entries that move beyond pathology-centric views and promote a more health-based approach that covers biological, social, family, and cultural aspects of mental health. More concise than its predecessor, the work appropriately covers the subject matter one might expect (depression, emotional intelligence, resilience, self-esteem, etc.) and embraces such contemporary multidisciplinary topics as animal-assisted interventions, behavioral economics, bullying, hoarding, LGBT issues, social media, virtual reality exposure therapy, etc. This expansive set contains 245 alphabetically arranged, peer-reviewed entries that range from three to 15 pages in length. All entries provide references, and most include a glossary of key terms and extensive cross-references to other entries in the encyclopedia, with many tables and figures (some in color). A volume-specific table of contents appears in each of the four volumes, with the first identifying the more than 450 contributors and the last featuring a comprehensive index. Unlike the previous edition, there are no external cues on the books' spines indicating their alphabetical range of content, so browsing the contents is the only way to tell what each volume contains. The list of contributors would be more useful if it was cross-referenced with entry titles. Despite these disappointments about the encyclopedia's production and its cost, this excellent reference work remains an essential foundation for any psychology collection. Comparable works include the 3rd edition (2012) of The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Health (CH, Jun'08, 45-5326) or Ada Kahn and Jan Fawcett's Encyclopedia of Mental Health (CH, May'08, 45-4739), although now dated and far less detailed. An e-book version of the encyclopedia, perhaps more user-friendly for academic audiences, is available via Elsevier's ScienceDirect platform (CH, Nov'12, 50-1430). Summing Up: Essential. Undergraduates through faculty/researchers; professionals/practitioners. --Neil Nero, Princeton University