The Role of Trust in Mental Health

“Professor Leavey’s book throws light on a far too long neglected factor with a powerful impact on structures of society and the management of problems ranging from care for people with diseases to the continuation of war or the maintenance of peace. “

- Professor Norman Sartorius (MD, PhD, FRCPsych) is a leading international expert in psychiatry. He has been the President of the World Psychiatric Association and of the European Psychiatric Association, and Director of the Mental health Division of the World Health Organization.

“Trust is one of those concepts that we make assumptions about throughout our academic writing. As so eloquently told in this book, we often forget the role of trust in building health and wellbeing, or conversely, how mistrust is so corrosive to social bonds and healthy minds. Professor Leavey’s book on trust and mental illness is written with considerable skill and knowledge on a wide range of subjects and issues. It provides an excellent reflection on the source of many of our social and psychological problems but also offers sound advice on how to mitigate them. “

- Professor Seeromanie Harding is Professor of Social Epidemiology at King’s College London, where she leads the Population Health and Nutrition Research group. Her expertise spans social and ethnic inequalities in health over the life course, international comparative studies, and community-based interventions in low resource settings. Her research covers complex socio-cultural-political contexts that drive health disparities.

“In this book, Professor Gerard Leavey describes, probes, unpicks and reveals to the reader the crucial place that trust occupies in relation to mental health and mental illness. Going way beyond the basic concept of 'therapeutic alliance' that the title might imply, he addresses the concept at multiple levels (individual, interpersonal, societal, political, philosophical...) and engages the reader in a heady and immersive contextualisation of why trust matters. For anyone interested in learning more about the impact of the social world on mental health, add this to your reading list!”

- Professor Helen Killaspy is a clinical academic working in the field of rehabilitation psychiatry. Her research has provided crucial evidence for the effectiveness of specialist services for people with complex mental health needs. She has played a key role in ensuring this evidence is included in policy to support ongoing investment in mental health rehabilitation services internationally. In 2019, the European Psychiatric Association awarded her the Constance Pascal-Helen Boyle Prize for Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in Working to Improve Mental Health Care in Europe. In 2021 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Faculty of Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry of the UK Royal College of Psychiatrists.

“This remarkable book takes the concepts of trust and mental health and moves them around each other as if they were reciprocal moons of our planetary existence. Trust is a concept perfectly central to individuals, families, communities and society. For almost a thousand years the idea of ‘trust’ has grown from the ancient roots of meaning that include: integrity, alliance, faithful, steadfast, shelter, safety, hope, and consolation. This book is a fascinating tour-de-force which gazes at trust and hope, and their inversions, from multiple perspectives, and asks how we can strengthen trust and hope and mental health in the future.”

- Sir Graham Thornicroft is Emeritus Professor of Community Psychiatry at King’s College London. He was Knighted in 2017 for services to mental health, Graham has authored over 30 books and written over 670 peer-reviewed scientific papers, shaping global mental health policies.