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The question of how best to help persons vulnerable to psychoses remains one of society's most important and difficult tasks. The difficulty resides in both the complex and differing nature of each individual and their psychosis, their family and social/
group context and also the complex nature of aspects of our society including problematic aspects of current mental health services. The fact that the prognosis for persons with psychosis has consistently been shown to be better in traditional cultures than in the industrialized West is a cause for sober reflection on group processes in contemporary Western society.
Therefore this substantive international multi-author book which takes a panoramic view on psychosis from broad group perspectives is particularly welcome. The editors have performed their task excellently, starting with their introduction that will be of use to both the novice and the experienced clinician. In this Schermer and Pines bring together a wealth of contextual material that outlines the contemporary picture: diagnostic features, biological and pharmacological developments and limitations, theoretical views on the nature of psychosis and its aetiology, research evidence for effectiveness of group therapies and, most importantly, the likely experiences (and disease) for the ‘therapist’ of being involved in a group of persons with psychotic tendencies. This latter point is one that is so rarely given the importance that it deserves and surely underpins any attempt to explain why even those psychological therapies for psychosis for which there is a strong conventional evidence base are rarely implemented.
Many of the chapters in this book are indeed open and honest accounts of the possibilities and difficulties encountered in offering a group approach in different institutional contexts. For British readers, Geoff Pullen's account of the vicissitudes of the therapeutic community movement for psychotic patients in various UK mental hospitals makes