ABSTRACT
Mental health diffi culties are ubiquitous, but the laudable pursuit of mental wellbeing has produced uncertain outcomes. The good news is that evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for many psychological disorders exist. The bad news is that in routine practice psychological therapy is a scarce resource. Even with the planned expansion of current services, three quarters of those affected will not receive help for the foreseeable future. The even worse news is that psychological therapies delivered in practice more often than not fail a ‘Trading Standards Test’. This volume addresses the question of how to improve the quality and quantity of psychological therapy, by conducting reliable assessments of need, ensuring fi delity to EBTs, utilising a multi-dimensional model of competence, making greater use of groups, reducing reliance on surrogate outcome measures and utilising supervision for quality control. But such improvements can only take place when the mental health workforce is no longer demoralised and Clinical Commissioning Groups, professional bodies, service providers and politicians have a clear understanding of and commitment to socially signifi cant psychological therapies. This volume seeks to raise the consciousness of professionals, politicians, consumers of mental health services and their friends and family of ideal provision and the gap between it and current provision, acting as a motivational force to bridge that gap.
