Caring for the ill, disabled, very old, or very young requires a labor-intensive commitment that is not only essential to the well-being of individuals and to society as a whole, but also fraught with physical, financial, and psychological risks. And despite the critical nature of their job, caregivers rarely have avenues of support.

Foreword; Rosalynn Carter.- Chapter 1. Caregiving to Promote Mental Health and Prevent Mental Illness; Ronda C. Talley, Gregory L. Fricchione, & Benjamin G. Druss.- Section I: Developmental Issues in Mental Health Caregiving.- Chapter 2. The Impact of Caregiving on Physical and Mental Health: Implications for Research, Practice, Education, and Policy; Diane L. Elmore.- Chapter 3. Cultural Considerations in Caring for Persons with Mental Illness; Brent E. Gibson. - Chapter 4. Chronic Illness and Primary Care: Integrating Mental Health and Primary Care; Susan Taylor-Brown & Susan H. McDaniel.- Section II: The Mental Health Caregiving Context.- Chapter 5. Mental Illness Prevention and Promotion; William R. Beardslee & Tracy R. G. Gladstone.- Chapter 6. Systems of Caregiving: Promoting Positive Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents; Patricia Stone Motes & Chaundrissa Oyeshiku Smith.- Chapter 7. Midlife Concerns and Caregiving Experiences: Intersecting Life Issues Affecting Mental Health; Jane E. Myers & Melanie C. Harper.- Section III: Local, State, and National Issues Effecting Caregivers and Mental Health Caregiving.- Chapter 8. Loss, Grief, and Bereavement: Implications for Family Caregivers and Health Care Professionals of the Mentally Ill; Sherry R. Schachter & Jimmie C. Holland.- Chapter 9. Caring for a Family Member with Mental Illness: Exploring Spirituality; Thomas R. Smith & Mary G. Milano.- Section IV: Issues in Policy and Research.- Chapter 10. Caregiving and Mental Health: Policy Implications; Michael J. English & Kana Enomoto.- Chapter 11. Research in Caregiving; Elizabeth A. Crocco & Carl Eisdorfer.- Chapter 12. Mental Health Caregiving: A Call to Professional Providers, Family Caregivers, and Individuals with Mental Health Challenges; Donald Lollar & Ronda C. Talley.¿