Sociological Insights on Mental Health and Distress

Introduces students to the study of the social forces that shape mental health and empowers the next generation to make an impact on mental health management

As the prevalence of mental health issues worldwide continues to grow, an active area of sociology is investigating the social causes and consequences of mental health and illness. Young people are especially vulnerable to the current mental health crisis—they are more frequently experiencing social isolation, family stressors, difficulties establishing social relationships, and heightened levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts.

Using a relatable and accessible narrative style, Sociological Insights on Mental Health and Distress helps students understand the connections between mental health issues and their social and structural determinants. Integrating classical and contemporary sociological theory, this concise textbook examines mental health from four key sociological perspectives: social context, social integration, stress, and stigma.

Special emphasis is placed on the role of social media and cyberbullying in mental health concerns, global sources of anxiety such as COVID-19 and climate change, and emerging topics including neuro-divergencies in mental health problems and suicide in LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.

Supported by a wealth of pedagogical tools and an extensive companion website, Sociological Insights on Mental Health and Distress is the perfect textbook for undergraduate courses in the sociology of mental health, health and illness, psychological and sociological deviance, and social problems, as well as interdisciplinary courses in criminal justice, public health, social work, and psychology.

Teresa L. Scheid is a Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with joint appointments in Public Health, Public Policy, and Health Psychology. She has been teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in mental health for over thirty years. She is co-editor of A Handbook for the Study of Mental Health: Social Contexts, Theories, and Systems and editor of the four-volume series Mental Health: Major Themes in Health and Social Welfare.

S. Megan Smith is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she primarily teaches mental health, health and illness, loneliness, and deviance. She was awarded the Andrew W. Mellon Teaching Fellowship, the J. Murrey Atkins Library Award for Faculty Engagement related to teaching instruction, and recently was awarded the inaugural Trailblazer Award through Charlotte’s Center for Teaching and Learning, which recognizes innovation and technology implementation in the classroom.

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