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The National Service Framework for Mental Health was published in late 1999, setting ambitious 10‐year targets. This article draws on findings presented in a recent Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health report on progress to date. It concludes that although the framework confirmed the status of mental health as a health priority for the government, a likely shortfall in funding means that goals will not be met in full. The authors stress that this is not a criticism of policy; rather it reflects the ambitious nature of the government's mental health agenda.

It is nearly eight years since the National Service Framework for Mental Health was published, setting ambitious 10‐year targets. This article draws on findings presented in a recent Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health report on progress to date. It concludes that although the framework confirmed the status of mental health as a health priority for the government, a likely shortfall in funding means that goals will not be met in full. The authors stress that this is not a criticism of policy; rather it reflects the ambitious nature of the government's mental health agenda.

This paper uses economic analysis to develop the case for greater investment in mental health promotion. One example of a common mental health problem for which there is robust evidence of effective interventions is conduct disorder. The paper estimates that preventing conduct disorders in those children who are most disturbed would save around £150,000 per case (lifetime costs), and that promoting positive mental health in those children with moderate mental health would yield lifetime benefits of around £75,000 per case. Investment in support for parents is therefore the top priority in a provisional list of ‘best buys’ in promoting mental health.

The purpose of this paper is to review representative literature on social inclusion and evaluate the usefulness of the concept in current mental health policy.

The paper employs a selective review of the cost‐effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving social inclusion in children, young adults with first episode psychosis and unemployed adults of working age.

Social inclusion remains a useful concept in understanding both the causes of mental health problems and how these might best be addressed. Although measurement is not easy, it can be operationalised through a mixture of subjective and objective indicators. There is strong evidence for the effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving social inclusion for the groups selected. These findings provide strong support for prioritising these interventions, especially in times of severe financial restrictions.

The selection of literature for review limits the generalisability of the conclusions.

The paper sets out a clear and simple analysis of the concept of social inclusion and how it may be measured. It also brings together the cost‐effectiveness literature on attempts to improve social inclusion for three, key high‐risk groups. The paper strongly supports the value of retaining the concept of social inclusion, despite the fact that it has become temporarily unfashionable.

Behavioural problems in childhood often lead to poor long-term outcomes, including increased risk of adult mental illness, unemployment, criminality and shorter life expectancy. Most parents of affected children ask for help, usually from teachers or general practitioners, but only a small minority go on to access well implemented evidence-based programmes of early intervention. A strong body of research demonstrates the effectiveness of these programmes, but much less is known about the practicalities of identification and referral which are among the key ingredients of good implementation.

This paper adds to existing knowledge on these topics, drawing on a wider empirical study of the delivery of parenting programmes in this country, based on detailed case studies in four local areas and a national survey of parenting leads.

Identification and referral is a complex process, requiring parents to acknowledge challenges in the management of a child's behaviour, overcome feelings of failure or stigma risking disclosure to professionals. It relies on professionals understanding the significance of what they see or hear, knowing where to refer families and having effective motivational skills to promote the willingness of parents to engage with programmes. Different perceptions of poor childhood behaviour delay access to appropriate help, particularly for those with severe problems. Referral pathways are often complex and not well understood by professionals in routine contact with families or working with high-risk groups.

Although there is a strong body of research outlining what works to promote better outcomes for children with early behavioural difficulties, there is less detailed understanding of identification, help seeking and “real world” barriers preventing parents and children benefitting from effective parenting support.

The purpose of this paper is to address the serious problems that people with intellectual disability face in getting their healthcare needs met in general hospitals by improving the training of general hospital staff.

Review of recent developments in models of service provision including the development of intellectual disability liaison nurses and the RAID model in liaison psychiatry.

There is much scope for intellectual disability liaison nurses and liaison psychiatry services to work together in staff training in general hospitals. There is a clear strategic role for both services in convincing the management of general hospitals to implement such training using economic and quality arguments.

The authors suggest a new model of working to improve the healthcare outcomes of people with intellectual disabilities through effective training of staff in general hospitals.

It is evident that a history of libraries must take into account the social and domestic circumstances under which reading is done; and both the words in my title (“study” and “sofa”) are significant from this point of view.