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With chapters written by leading scholars and researchers, the third edition of A Handbook for the Study of Mental Health provides an updated, comprehensive review of the sociology of mental health. The volume presents an overview of the historical, social, and institutional frameworks for understanding mental health and illness. Part I examines the social factors that shape psychiatric diagnosis and the measurement of mental health and illness, the theories that explain the definition and treatment of mental disorders, and cultural variability in mental health. The section addresses the DSM-5 and its potential influence on diagnosis and research on mental health outcomes. Part II investigates the effects of social context on mental health and illness. Part III focuses on the organization, delivery, and social context of mental health treatment. The chapters in Part III address the likely impact of the Affordable Care Act on mental health care. This volume is a key resource for students, researchers, advocates, and policymakers seeking to understand mental health and mental health delivery systems.

Over the past several years, scholars of teaching and learning have demonstrated the potential of collaborative learning strategies for improving student learning. This paper examines the use of computer-mediated communication to promote collaborative student learning in large introductory sociology courses. Specifically, we summarize a project we conducted during the 2000-2001 academic year in which we added online collaborative learning activities to the curriculum of two large sections of introductory sociology. Drawing on Novak et al.'s (1999) Just-In-Time Teaching methods, we developed online activities to help prepare students for subsequent in-class work and to cultivate a sense of group solidarity among smaller teams within the larger class. The results suggest that student engagement in the online group learning activities was strongly predictive of better student academic achievement on the biweekly quizzes, cumulative final exam, and course paper. These findings highlight the potential value of online group work for fostering collaborative learning environments in large lecture courses as well as for enhancing student learning.

Virtual exchange programs represent a relatively novel approach designed to foster a more global perspective and promote discipline-specific learning; however, this approach has not been widely adopted in sociology. This article reports findings on student experiences and learning in a virtual exchange program involving two large introductory sociology classes in Hong Kong and Atlanta. A postsurvey invited students to reflect qualitatively on their experiences, and six major themes emerged from the data: (1) global application of sociological knowledge, (2) social and cultural relativism, (3) breaking the shell and gaining intellectual and social flexibility, (4) social networking opportunities, (5) challenges and adjustments, and (6) keeping contact beyond school. Based on our experience and the students' feedback, we conclude that virtual exchange is an effective pedagogical approach for internationalizing sociology curricula, enhancing intercultural competency, and deepening students' understanding of core sociological concepts.

Understanding the conditions under which children benefit most from systems of care approaches can help administrators allocate scarce resources, improve services, sustain existing systems, and implement new initiatives. The purpose of this study was to determine whether demographic characteristics, referral source, Medicaid status, presenting problems, or place of residence predicted improvement over time in a system of care. Results indicate that age at enrollment was the only variable that predicted functional improvement after 6 months of system of care involvement. Further research is needed that explores differences in effective service provision for younger and older children served in systems of care. These findings support the growing recognition that prevention and early intervention should be core aspects of children's social services.

Abstract The existing literature on gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) youth emphasizes unique benefits of having GLB friends, but empirical studies have shown no or only small mental health advantages of having them. To unravel this contradiction, this study tested a common assumption that GLB youth develop better relational quality with their GLB friends than with straight friends. Statistical analysis used interview data from community organization participants in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA (n = 84) and employed analysis of variance and ordinary least squares regression models. GLB youth's friendships with GLB and straight peers did not differ in contact frequency, emotional closeness, and hassles. Further, GLB and straight friends were similar in the degree to which each relational quality dimension was associated with mental health.

AbstractThis chapter reports on the evaluation of state and local level National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care (aka CLAS Standards), specifically those standards addressing the health needs of sexual minority individuals, with an emphasis on the inclusion of bisexual+ communities and the implications of bisexual+ (non)inclusion in CLAS standards. At the state and local levels, bisexual identity is rarely recognized as distinct from other sexual identities. This lack of representation raises an essential issue of how local communities, states, and the federal government struggle with sexual minority data classification and prioritizing health benchmarks for sexual minority populations and subpopulations. We also found that the CLAS cultural competency policy definition at the federal level lacks an appropriate degree of bi‐inclusivity. The findings from this study reveal that the five states in our sample implemented CLAS Standards in ways that demonstrated bi‐erasure. Specifically, states defined gender and sexual minorities through exclusionary categories that place emphasis on the "Other". LGBTQ+ evaluators can rely on the Principles of LGBTQ+ Evaluation to create strategies that demonstrate how to effectively address the intersecting ramifications of bi‐erasure at the policy level.