Mental health social workers work within multidisciplinary teams, often based in health settings. The variety of services they work within are shaped by mental health policy that is increasingly being influenced by research evidence of 'what works'. This book provides an accessible, yet authoritative, guide to the evidence base that underpins contemporary mental health policy in the UK. It critically engages with the notion of evidence-based practice in mental health social work and provides a guide to becoming an evidence-based practitioner. It also provides an accessible guide to appraising quantitative and qualitative research relevant to mental health social work practice.