Books on Mental Health Issues

Intrigued by a book on mental health in the Harried Parent's Book Club? Read more about it through excerpts from the books below. For excerpts on other topics, go to the full index.

With simple language and bright illustrations, this book for parents to read with their kids suggests visualizing negative self-talk as a little green monster in your head, and offers practical suggestions for shutting him up.

A psychologist advises parents on how to turn their children from seeing everything as negative to understanding that bad doesn't last forever.

A look at the inner spirit of children with attention differences, with advice on how to raise them into healthy, productive adults.

Review of a book describing the use of dialectical behavior therapy to help teens who self-injure, and recommending strategies for parents to use at home.

Review of a father's memoir about his daughter's breakdown.

Learn about research on invisible friends, and whether they are a normal part of child development or cause for concern.

Review of an innovative journal to boost a girls' self-esteem by helping her celebrate the special things that others see in her.

Richard Louv's bestseller about helping kids return to nature is back in an updated and expanded version, suggesting nature as a remedy for obesity, ADHD and depression.

A fairly even-handed look at the issues involved in deciding how to treat children with behavioral issues.

Review of a book on Borderline Personality Disorder, and how family members can support a person with BPD without getting caught up in the drama.

Detailed guide to a program of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to combat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in kids.

Learn relaxation techniques, guided visualizations, and bedtime routines that will help your child go to sleep, and get back to sleep.

Introverts may be mistakenly diagnosed with ADD, Asperger syndrome or anxiety disorder, but they also possess strengths and gifts for those patient enough to wait for them.

A reporter setting out to write about the overuse of medication by parents eager for a quick fix finds out that the truth is much more complicated and heartbreaking.

Ever wonder what goes on in a therapeutic boarding school for troubled teens? "What It Takes" follows one group through the 15-month program at one such facility, the Academy at Swift River in Massachusetts.

A psychiatrist offers a remarkably even-handed look at all sides of the debate over children and psychiatric medications.