Defining severe mental illness -- Schizophrenia -- Affective disorders -- Anxiety disorders -- Eating disorders -- Somatoform disorders -- Severe mental illness in old age --Personality disorder: what role for the mental health services? -- Understanding the need -- Models of care for severe mental illness -- Policy development for severe mental illness: the UK experience -- Models of mental healthcare for the elderly -- Forensic psychiatry services -- Services for severe somatoform disorders -- Psychological approaches to psychotic illness -- Suicide prevention -- Mentally ill parents -- Monitoring effectiveness and increasing knowledge: education, audit and research