Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: Theory and practice was conceived as a result of three major premises which, in the view of the editors, relate to the practice of psychiatric and mental health nursing. First, that high-quality psychiatric and mental health nursing can be practised only if it is under­ pinned by appropriate nursing theory. Secondly, that there exists a body of theory which can and should be applied to psychiatric and mental health nursing. Thirdly, that there is a need for a text which will assist teachers, students and clinicians to apply available nursing and borrowed theory to clinical practice. The general aim of this book is to introduce nursing students to a theory­ based approach to caring for people with psychiatric and mental health problems. The phrase psychiatric and mental health problems indicates that the text relates to clients with a psychiatric diagnosis, and also to those who have mental health problems but who do not necessarily have such a diagnosis. The client group to which the material in this text applies will include those who are, or have been, hospitalized and those in the community who have not been, and may never be, hospitalized. The intended readership is all students of psychiatric and mental health nursing issues, for example basic and post-basic nurses, and their teachers.