Mental health across cultures

Illustration of a nurse pouring a drink for a seated man at a table with flowers and a book.

What we lose by being overly scientific about healthcare

Empirical studies tell us about treatment outcomes, but they overlook the cultural dynamics that can help us feel better

by Ana Todorović

Photo of a woman in an orange shawl touching a decorative wall with colourful, intricate patterns and Islamic calligraphy.

Why a Sufi approach to healing mental illness is so powerful

In Sufi shrines, rituals offer sufferers a path beyond the fear and isolation of their mental distress

by Bhrigupati Singh

Illustration of a giant camera with a set inside, showing a person filming and another entering, with autumn leaves and street lamps outside.

The therapeutic power in learning to make a film together

A collaboration among workers in India showed the power of making and discussing films for sharing life’s inner challenges

by Varun Kurtkoti

A photo of a man in patterned clothing sitting on tables in a room with mural of palm trees and water, surrounded by furniture.

Frantz Fanon and the crisis of mental health in the Arab world

Where is Frantz Fanon’s postcolonial ‘new man’ to be found in the persistence of psychiatric institutions in the Arab world?

by Joelle M Abi-Rached

Photo of an older woman in a straw hat holding a doll in a park with another person embracing her from behind.
AGEING

The radical impact of seeing Alzheimer’s as a second childhood

Even if the retrogenesis model isn’t strictly true, seeing Alzheimer’s as a second childhood impacts radically on patient care

by Han Yu

Black and white photo of a busy underground station with people and a train on the platform.

Most anguish isn’t an illness but an evolved response to adversity

An anthropological view shows us that the root causes of depression and anxiety are usually social conflict and adversity

by Kristen Syme & Edward H Hagen

Ancient Chinese painting of a procession with figures holding banners and an umbrella on a brown scroll background.

Chinese philosophy has long known that mental health is communal

The early Chinese philosophers knew that a healthy mind comes from a harmonious community, not a matter for individuals alone

by Alexus McLeod