Understanding Mental Illness: A Comprehensive Guide to Mental Health Disorders for Family and Friends

“Skillfully crafted, thoughtful, and expertly written.” —Sheryl Denise Jones, MD

“Comprehensive and educational . . . from a practical and relatable point of view." —Napoleon Higgins, MD

“A well needed resource! . . . It allows us to better understand and support the people we care about, but who struggle with mental illness.” —Thomas Kerrihard, MD

Get the straight facts about mental illness from two Harvard trained psychiatrists. More than 40 million people in the US suffer from mental health problems—yet less than half receive adequate care and treatment.

Even in the 21st century with the most advanced medical care in the world, social stigma still surrounds psychiatric problems, and this, combined with a lack of understanding, perpetuates a national mental health crisis affecting those in need and their families.

Ignoring and/or being unaware of a problem can have devastating effects in our families and for society at large—many people living with mental illness go untreated, and as a result, people with untreated mental illnesses make up one third of the nation’s homeless population and can be imprisoned.

To meet these challenges, Dr. Carlin Barnes and Dr. Marketa Wills have written this necessary and comprehensive, practical guide to educate and help everyone better understand mental health. Each chapter offers insights and wisdom concerning a variety of psychiatric conditions, including:

• Mood disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Personality disorders
• Substance abuse issues
• Eating disorders
• Women’s mental health issues
• Suicide in America
• Geriatric mental health
• Professional athletes and mental health
• And more

Armed with this knowledge, you and your loved one can better appreciate the real struggles at hand, and as a result, seek the proper care needed.

Carlin Barnes, MD, is a board certified psychiatrist and behavioral health medical director at a Fortune 500 managed care company. For the past eighteen years, she has practiced child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry—she has a thriving, diverse, boutique private practice with patient clientele ranging from working adults to urban children and adolescents. She trained in the specialty of psychiatry at programs affiliated with both Harvard University and Emory University Schools of Medicine and attended Texas A&M University College of Medicine, where she received a Doctor of Medicine degree. Dr. Barnes is a member of several professional organizations including the National Medical Association, the Black Psychiatrists of America, and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. She is originally from Hillside, New Jersey, and currently resides in Houston, Texas, where she lives with her son.

Marketa Wills, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist with a master’s in business administration from the Wharton School of Business and serves as a physician executive at a Fortune 500 health insurance company. She has cared for severely mentally ill patients in inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room clinical settings. As treatment team leader and medical director, she effectively collaborated with other mental health professionals to ensure that patients with a variety of ailments—ranging from schizophrenia to postpartum depression to substance abuse—were able to live as productively as possible. Dr. Wills earned her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and completed a residency in adult psychiatry at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital program. In her last year of the program, she served as chief resident. She has received numerous accolades and awards highlighting her clinical and community achievements. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, she currently resides in sunny Tampa, Florida. Her passions include travel, community service and the arts.