Formulation in Mental Health Nursing

This book offers a comprehensive overview of formulation applied within the mental health nursing context. It presents a contemporary outlook on the role of the mental health nurse, exploring and reflecting on the foundational values-based and person-centred principles of mental health nurse education and practice. Through this timely and accessible textbook, the authors demonstrate how a variety of theories can be used to enhance formulation in practice, ensuring mental health assessment and intervention are meaningfully connected to support patient recovery. Including service user experiences and viewpoints throughout, each chapter also benefits from tailored discussion points to enable learners to develop critical thinking around formulation. An invaluable guide to the field, it provides a clear, up to date and thought-provoking overview of formulation, essential for students and practitioners in clinical psychology or psychotherapy, as well as clinicians working in all areas of mental health and social care, psychology, therapy, and counselling.

1. Introduction.- 2. Current Mental Health Nursing Practice around Formulation.- 3. Formulating Interpersonal Conflicts/Factors, Relationship Factors and Abuse.- 4. Formulation of those experiencing distress associated with perceptual experiences.- 5. Formulating experiences of extreme emotions and challenges associated with mood.- 6. Formulating and mitigating forms of personal distress focussing on self-harm and suicide.- 7. Formulating distress in adults and children experiencing physical health problems.- 8. Formulation of those experiencing distress associated with the use of substances.- 9. Support Approaches to Formulation Outcomes– Mental Health Nursing Considerations.

Vickie Howard is Deputy Programme Director of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner Programme, Specialist Adult Mental Health at the University of Hull, UK. 

Dr Lolita Alfred is a Senior Lecturer, Admissions Lead and Practice Education Lead for Mental Health Nursing at City, University of London, UK.