How can sociology explain the emergence of mental disorders in societies or individuals? This authoritative book makes a case for the renewal of the sociology of mental illness, proposing a reorganisation of this field around four areas: social stratification, stress, labelling and culture. Drawing on case studies from a range of global contexts, the book argues that current research focuses on identifying ‘social factors’, leaving the question of causality to psychiatry, while significant critical perspectives remain untapped. The result is an unprecedented resource that maps the current state of sociology of mental health, providing an invigorating manifesto for its future.This authoritative book presents a global critical look at sociological explanations of mental illnesses. The authors show how current trends have focused too much on identifying statistical correlations between ‘social factors’ and ‘mental health issues,’ while qualitative avenues and theoretical resources remain untapped. This is an unprecedented resource book that maps out the current state of sociology of mental health and an invigorating manifesto that paves the way for its future.