Mental health across cultures

Ancient Chinese painting of a procession with figures holding banners and an umbrella on a brown scroll background.
HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF MENTAL HEALTH

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

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

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

A photo of a man in patterned clothing sitting on tables in a room with mural of palm trees and water, surrounded by furniture.
HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF MENTAL HEALTH

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

Monks in colourful robes and hats, forming a circle during an outdoor festival with flags and onlookers in Tibet.
MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION

Complexity science can deepen your mindfulness practice

What if ‘stress reduction’ is the least interesting thing mindfulness does? Complexity science offers new ways forward

by Pavel Chvykov

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

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

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

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 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

Photo of a man holding laundry in a dimly lit room with shelves, a microwave and a curtain on the left.
MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS CULTURES

What do Japan’s hikikomori reveal about our lonely world?

Unemployed and isolated, the residents of a hikikomori rehab centre hold up a mirror to a society that’s failing them

by Alain Julian

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

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