Understanding ADHD: ISBN 978-1-6782-0136-4 / eBook: 978-1-6782-0137-1
Understanding Gender Dysphoria: ISBN 978-1-6782-0138-8 / eBook: 978-1-6782-0139-5
Understanding PTSD: ISBN 978-1-6782-0142-5 / eBook: 978-1-6782-0143-2
Understanding Suicidal Thoughts: ISBN 978-1-6782-0149-9 / eBook: 978-1-6782-0145-6
Booklist, September 1, 2021
The Mental Health Guides series for reluctant readers addresses mental health challenges that can affect young adults. The large fonts and straightforward, informational sentences will also work well with English-language learners. User-friendly features include brief chapters, boxed insets, and multiple graphics (primarily stock photos). Despite different authors, all titles strike a reassuring tone and follow the same format. An introduction lists bulleted facts that provide basic definitions and statistics. A first chapter describes the medical condition, the second explains how the condition affects individuals, the third how the condition affects society, and the final chapter talks about treatment. Each book identifies celebrities who have come forward about their personal struggles. In Understanding ADHD, gymnast Simone Biles shares how she has taken medication for ADHD since she was a young child. Both Caitlyn Jenner and Chas Bono are mentioned in Understanding Gender Dysphoria, although young readers may be less familiar with these individuals. Understanding PTSD reveals Ariana Grande's admission to having PTSD after a bomb exploded during one of her concerts. Lady Gaga is cited in Understanding Suicidal Thoughts, which also includes information about her Born This Way Foundation. A glossary, chapter notes, and lists of recommended readings round things out. The title on gender dysphoria seems a little light, but in general these selections will serve as accessible resources for report writers.
—Kathleen McBroom