Salem Health: Community & Family Health Issues Review

"The new addition to the Salem Health series takes a broader view of health by examining its impact on families and communities. The encyclopedia’s 500 alphabetical entries cover a variety of social, mental, and physical conditions that can affect not only the patient but also family members and the larger community. Health care professionals wrote and reviewed all the articles, which fall into 23 major categories, such as abandonment, cultural competency, gender identity, and violence. Two-dozen overview articles offer more detailed content in broad subject areas, such as foster care, juvenile delinquency, and workplace violence. A complete table of contents appears in each volume. Volume three has a glossary, categorized list of articles, and a subject index. Each article includes a definition and description of its topic, relevant statistics and risk factors, signs and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options, laws and regulations, services and resources, warning signs, and a resource list. Articles range in length from two to 20 pages. Coverage is broad in psycho-social range (anxiety disorders, biological fathers and their relationships with children, homeless adolescents, sexual harassment, etc.) to an extent not usually seen in lay health reference works. The reading level is high, but, including articles on such topics as video game addiction and the effects of war on children, this is very useful for public and consumer health libraries that can afford it; the price covers online access, too."
-Booklist

“This three-volume encyclopedia is the latest addition to the Salem Health series, and combines more than 130 newly written articles written with nearly 370 updated articles from other Salem Health titles. It focuses on major areas that typically influence the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities: biological illnesses, mental health disorders, and environmental stressors. The work is edited by licensed clinical social worker Amber Bruggman and doctor of psychology Kimberly Ortiz-Hartman. Contributors include social workers, therapists, nurses, physicians, and researchers. While the introduction by Ortiz-Hartman states that this resource is aimed at readers who may be experiencing one or some of the above issues, many of the essays clearly provide information aimed at social work practitioners...Articles are arranged alphabetically and range from one to eight pages in length, with the exception of 24 overviews that are usually longer and more detailed. All articles, including overviews, are signed by writers and reviewers and follow similar formats. Overviews—on topics like adoption, schizophrenia, workplace violence, juvenile delinquency, and divorce—provide some or all of these subtopics: definitions and descriptions; facts and figures; risk factors; signs and symptoms; assessments and assessment tools; treatments and interventions; laws and regulations; services and resources; food for thought; red flags; and next steps. Of special interest is the food for thought subtopic because it often goes outside the box to shine a different light on the topic. Standard articles may contain some of those subtopics or only a few with subheadings like: what we know, what can be done; and services and resources…The third volume contains a glossary of terms; categorized list of articles; and a subject index. Schools and libraries that purchase the print version also get complimentary access to the e-book through the publisher’s online database…this encyclopedia contains good material and is a worthwhile resource for a variety of audiences, including undergraduate and graduate students, health and social services professionals, and the general public.”
—ARBA