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A presentation of a comparative analysis of the work of mental health social workers and community psychiatric nurses, an issue of importance because of ""community care"" and also important as much of their work territory overlaps. The findings are more favourable to social workers

The link between child care and mental health problems in social work clients has begun to attract some attention. Despite some review articles, research is, as yet, at a very early stage of development. Maternal depression and child care problems in particular appear likely to be closely associated. This paper focuses on the link between maternal depression and the most severe of child care problems: child abuse. The paper shows a significant relationship between maternal depression and child abuse. It explores this relationship by distinguishing three groups: families where no abuse had occurred (non abuse families), families where abuse had occurred but where the mother was not depressed (non depressed‐abuse group) and families where both child abuse and maternal depression were present (depressed‐abuse group). The depressed‐abuse group are shown to be considerably worse off than both the other groups for a range of measures, including indices of deprivation and range and severity of social problems. The depressed‐abuse group were also more chronic users of services and consumed far more resources than the other two groups. Remarkably, there were few differences between the non abuse group and the non depressed abuse group in nature and severity of problems and intervention. Depression in mothers, then, provides the major distinction between families where abuse was an issue compared with families where abuse was not present. Such families are characterized not simply by maternal depression and child abuse, but frequently by abuse of the mother herself, who is often socially isolated. These findings are of major importance for child care practice, indicating that working with the mother's depression and the social conditions that provide its backdrop, are a major aspect of social work practice.

Could an effective response to maternal depression help prevent unnecessary admissions to accommodation or care? Michael Sheppard presents evidence that maternal depression is both likely to be widespread in families already receiving social work help, and to have a significant impact on the capacity of mothers to adequately care for their children.

How do mothers cope with child care and associated problems when, in adversity, they do not gain access to social service support? This book considers the important question of mothers' coping strategies when they are in adversity. Drawing upon the women's own accounts, it focuses not only on what they do themselves to deal with their problems, but how they integrate their own problem solving approaches with the use of supports. It also examines the way in which women cope with their own emotional responses to these problems. The women themselves, and their own accounts are placed 'centre stag.

AbstractConcerns have been expressed for some time about a decline in emphasis on therapeutic work in social work, notably articulated in the Munro Review. Further concerns have been expressed in child care that social workers have increasingly had to focus on child protection work rather than earlier stages of prevention. However, there remain opportunities for social workers through the development of new programmes. One development has been that of Behaviour and Education Support Teams: multi‐professional teams, containing as a key element social workers, and encouraging novel practices designed to help emotional stability and improved behaviour and education performance. This study reports on an evaluation of a social worker delivered school‐based social skills programme, which can contribute to the important area of resilience. This showed significant and sustained improvements in pro‐social behaviour and friendships. The implications of this for the therapeutic potential and professional role of social work are discussed.

The importance of providing consistent methods for the assessment of need for practice and research in child and family social work has been accepted for some considerable time. One feature identified by key stakeholders, such as Directors of Children's and Social Services, is the need for rigour in the development of such instruments. This paper reports on an evaluation of the Children's Review Schedule, an instrument developed in collaboration with one Children's Department. It focuses on a key aspect of the assessment of need: the measurement of the nature, range and severity of family problems.

This study, part of a large programme of research incorporating four child and family care teams, focuses on the combined effects of alcohol dependence alongside clinical depression in mothers. A comparison is made between women who were clinically depressed and women who were both clinically depressed and alcohol dependent. The latter group had significantly higher levels of difficulty in social relationship, health, child, and particularly parenting problems. When considered alongside the intensity, duration and range of intervention required, the results indicated that there is considerable concern about the 'dangerousness' of this particular group with major implications for policy and practice. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.