Dear colleagues,

See below.

All the best,
Pat

Dr Patricia Noxolo,

Senior Lecturer in Human Geography

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences,

University of Birmingham,

Edgbaston,

Birmingham

B15 2TT

UK

________________________________________
From: [log in to unmask] [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 11 January 2018 18:15
To: Patricia Noxolo
Subject: New text: Going Crazy in the City: Neighbourhood Context and Mental Health

Pat Noxolo
Society for Caribbean Studies



Dear Pat,


Bringing to your attention a recent publication 'Going Crazy in the
City: Neighbourhood Context and Mental Health' which may be helpful in
a Latin American and Caribbean Studies Programme. See details
below.



This work is out of the Caribbean, specifically Jamaica amd employs
the fiction as research practice, sharing the findings in a narrative
style through a social justice lens.  It is available from Arawak
publications | Publisher &
Publishing Consultants  (Contact: Pansy Benn) Constant Spring PO  |
Kingston 8  | Jamaica ​• (876) 758 3373 • 822 6705  |
[log in to unmask] • [log in to unmask]

The authors are open to sharing more on the book via a blog, articles or other
platforms.

See summary below:

Going Crazy in the City: Neighbourhood Context and Mental Health

This book unearths the story of the inextricable link between urban
environments and mental health and is of relevance to agencies which
provide health, infrastructural and social development services. It
employs fiction as research practice approach.
Disciplines of urban planning/development, public policy, public
health, development and social policy/programming, cultural studies,
social work and health professions, including psychologists will find
important content.  So too will public/nonprofit sector practitioners,
as well as researchers/consultants.

Set in Jamaica [a Lower Middle Income Country in the Caribbean], the
work which is based on secondary analysis of the Jamaica Health and
Lifestyle Survey II (2007/08) demonstrates that neighbourhood
infrastructure (e.g. roads, sidewalks, street lighting, water and the
cleanliness of the
environment) and the quality of this infrastructure are important
variables in the mental health landscape.

Key emerging themes have been shared in a narrative style, to enrich
the reading experience. The use of illustrations and graphics further
enhance the interpretation of the issues and facilitates reader
engagement. Narrative descriptions of life in three urban communities
are presented: Bottom River, a newly developing informal community,
Middle Ground, a planned community ravaged by the rapidly changing
zoning – from residential to commercial and Hill Drive, an upscale
community challenged by escalating depreciation of infrastructure.

It is a tool for practitioners and academic of multiple disciplines.
The work underscores the unquestionable relevance of the
socio-ecological perspective and social determinants of health to the
public health framework and sustainable development agenda.

Looking for an interdisciplinary text on health and development, with
a developing world perspective? Discussion points scattered throughout
the text are provocative. An added bonus – the stories make for a good
read, while challenging the reader to explore important themes!


Sincerely,

Jasneth

Jasneth Mullings, PhD
Lecturer
Faculty of Medical Sciences
The University of the West Indies, Mona