Understanding Human Distress and an Invitation to Explore the Myriads of Formulation

Welcome to Chap. 1 which focuses on introducing the key sources of underpinning concepts in developing formulation approaches in mental health nursing. These will be further explored and illustrated through the real-life accounts within subsequent chapters of this book. We are aiming to present these concepts in straightforward and accessible language to support you with your own sense-making and applications of these theories and concepts, and we begin below by outlining our intentions with language use for the writing style and presentation of the book. Ultimately, we hope this introductory information will spark your individual areas of interest and that you will begin the journey of ‘making (mental) notes’ on the specific approaches and viewpoints you may naturally align to and recognise others which may be unfamiliar yet possibly intriguing! This first chapter will provide the highlights of historical developments and current thinking in how human distress has been viewed and named, and consequently the reactions to how distress should be addressed and intervened with.