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History and philosophy of mental health

Disorders and difficulties Therapies and practical advice Perspectives and controversies

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

Creativity and the arts Spirituality and transcendence

Evaluating therapies History and philosophy of mental health History of psychology and psychiatry Law and mental health Mental health across cultures Mind-body interactions Socioeconomics of mental health Stigma and taboo Therapeutic relationships

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Silhouetted soldiers walking along a ridge with their reflections in the water below during the First World War.

History and philosophy of mental health

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One woman’s six-word mantra that has helped to calm millions

Ahead of her time, yet largely ignored by psychiatry, Claire Weekes taught millions of readers how to overcome anxiety

by Judith Hoare

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

History and philosophy of mental health

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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

Blurred close-up of a woman’s face with an out-of-focus reflection of a shop window displaying signage in the background.

Mental health

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Mental disorders aren’t diseases, they’re networks of symptoms

Mental disorders are usually seen as the causes of symptoms. In the network perspective, symptoms are causes themselves

by Richard J McNally

Photo of a man and child seated in a stroller on a beach path surrounded by seagulls with the ocean in the background.

History and philosophy of mental health

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For Donald Winnicott, the psyche is not inside us but between us

For Donald Winnicott, your psyche isn’t just in your head – it emerges from your relationships with others and the world

by James Barnes

Photo of a blue sky with scattered white clouds and larger clouds forming on one side.

Imagination

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See faces in the clouds? It might be a sign of your creativity

Long considered a sign of mental illness, ‘pareidolia’ or seeing patterns in randomness might be a useful measure of creativity

by René Müri & Nicole Göbel

A man in patterned pyjamas sits on a table in a room with a mural of a landscape and old furniture.

History and philosophy of mental health

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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

Two elderly men viewing a large mural on a building, depicting a person with a masked face and a horse.

Hallucinations and delusions

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Beliefs have a social purpose. Does this explain delusions?

Beliefs have a social purpose. To understand delusions, let’s focus on why they’re so often about other people

by Anna Greenburgh

Two men in black and white film scene: one in military uniform leaning over and talking to the other who is seated, looking apprehensive.

Freedom and choice

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Brainwashing has a grim history that we shouldn’t dismiss

Scientific research and historical accounts can help us identify and dissect the threat of ‘coercive persuasion’

by Joel E Dimsdale

A stylised painting of a woman with short dark hair, bending her head forward against a pastel background with curved and dotted patterns.

Hallucinations and delusions

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Philosophy can help us connect, even in the face of psychosis

How phenomenological tools can help foster a relationship of true listening between clinicians and people with psychosis

by Rosa Ritunnano & Kasim Qureshi

A black-and-white photo of a man, a woman and a child sitting around a cluttered dining table with food, bowls and plates. The man looks thoughtful.

Socioeconomics of mental health

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Mental health is not an individual matter, but a political one

Decades ago, pioneering research linked mental illness and economic deprivation. It’s time to take the implications seriously

by Matthew Smith

Abstract painting of a woman with geometric shapes in pastel colours, featuring a blend of blues, greens and yellows.

Psychiatry

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What a psychiatric diagnosis means – and what it doesn’t mean

With stigma and misunderstanding surrounding mental health, it’s vital to know the benefits and limits of a formal diagnosis

by Awais Aftab

A person leans out of an open window on the second floor of an old brick building with ornate trim, near a fire escape and traffic light.

History and philosophy of mental health

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Can we diagnose suffering without knowing a person’s history?

Human bodies and mental states are always transforming. How can the DSM portray the full range of human suffering?

by Christos Tombras