ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses mainly on problems that are usually described as 'mental health' problems. Narrative ideas may provide a particularly useful framework for working with problems in the area of mental health. Narrative is not necessarily an alternative to conventional psychiatric diagnosis and treatment but can be integrated with this. By working with narratives, practitioners in primary care may be able to carry out a wide range of therapeutic work, including family work and crisis intervention, that is hard to offer in any other setting. Many people in both primary care and psychiatry have reservations about current medical ways of thinking about mental health problems. They are concerned that labels including 'depression' or 'post-traumatic stress disorder' can pathologise many people who are simply grappling with adverse life experiences. People who experience psychotic thinking bring unusual and peculiar stories to the consultation.
