ABSTRACT
Many practitioners in health and social care have reservations about the dominant ways of thinking about mental health problems. By contrast, a narrative approach to mental health looks for accounts that primarily have meaning for the person, rather than labels that will satisfy the specialist. This chapter addresses different aspects of mental health, using examples from practitioners who have applied a narrative-based approach in their everyday work in health and social care. Conventionally, health and social care professionals are trained to "detect depression" by asking specific questions about the patient's experience – early morning waking, weight loss, and suicidal thoughts. People who experience psychotic thinking bring unusual and peculiar stories to health and social care professionals. When workers in health and social care see individuals or families in crisis, the response is often to make a referral to a counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist.
