Socioeconomics of mental health
![Illustration of a giant camera with a set inside, showing a person filming and another entering, with autumn leaves and street lamps outside.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/9713b998-ee0e-4e1f-b4dd-db506ce573f9/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Socioeconomics of mental health
idea
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 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.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/e5d1d4dd-e665-4aa4-bd7a-d16a1164d35d/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Socioeconomics of mental health
idea
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
![A doctor examines a patient’s mouth using a small light. The patient is wearing glasses and has their mouth open wide.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/662f9e4c-47e1-4f19-9b4d-b025a145c5c0/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Therapeutic relationships
idea
Homeless, delusional, and brave, Mrs A taught me a powerful lesson
How a homeless woman with frostbitten feet taught me what it means to stand up for another when the stakes are high
by Patricia Steckler
![A young girl in a red coat holds her mother’s hand while glancing into crates and boxes containing goods in a food bank.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/bd132127-c7c2-4f5e-a817-7e9a7f99eee6/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Socioeconomics of mental health
idea
Why we shouldn’t push a positive mindset on those in poverty
Living in poverty is not caused by a faulty mindset, it’s a response to scarcity and marginalisation
by Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington
![Photo of two people squatting next to large bins in an alley named Bothwell Lane, with old brick buildings in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3a317f44-2f3b-4f79-98ec-2d1c19f06e26/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Addiction
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Recognising the rhythm in addiction offers new ways to escape it
Addiction is not just about biochemistry – it’s also about time, and its hamster-wheel rhythm can suggest other treatments
by Eana Meng & Johannes Lenhard
![Photo of people sitting on tiered grass steps, some chatting or relaxing. Two cyclists ride on a path below the steps.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/eea367aa-5812-4f2d-912d-dc1d33c2f5d3/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Mental health
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If you stay mentally well your entire life, you’re not normal
Surveys suggest only a minority of people live lives entirely free from mental disorder. What can we learn from them?
by Jonathan D Schaefer