Abstract
Ever since I started working on this journal I have been aware that mental health, though widely recognized as ‘important’, is something of a Cinderella issue for many community nurses: not fully understood, not embraced, even a bit untouchable. Yet aspects of mental health touch every aspect of community nursing practice, from care of the patient with a chronic wound or indwelling catheter, to care of the patient dying at home and their family, to helping someone with diabetes manage their insulin. The social, emotional and psychological consequences of chronic illness and old age are numerous and readily identified by nurses: poor self-image, social isolation, depression to name a few. Dealing with these issues forms part of the practice of caring.
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