Beyond Scientism and Skepticism: An Integrative Approach to Global Mental Health

The global burden of disorders has shifted from infectious disease to non-communicable diseases, including neuropsychiatric disorders. Whereas infectious disease can sometimes be combated by targeting single causal mechanisms, such as prevention of contact-spread illness by hand-washing, in the cas...

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Main Authors: Dan J Stein, Judy eIlles
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2015-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00166/full
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spelling doaj-a5480e08e1b844f58fef93b059a8bc432020-11-25T00:06:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402015-11-01610.3389/fpsyt.2015.00166164856Beyond Scientism and Skepticism: An Integrative Approach to Global Mental HealthDan J Stein0Judy eIlles1University of Cape TownNational Core for NeuroethicsThe global burden of disorders has shifted from infectious disease to non-communicable diseases, including neuropsychiatric disorders. Whereas infectious disease can sometimes be combated by targeting single causal mechanisms, such as prevention of contact-spread illness by hand-washing, in the case of mental disorders multiple causal mechanisms are relevant. The emergent field of global mental health has emphasized the magnitude of the treatment gap, particularly in the low and middle income world, and has paid particular attention to upstream causal factors, for example, poverty, inequality, and gender discrimination in the pathogenesis of mental disorders. However, this field has also been criticised for relying on erroneous Western paradigms of mental illness, which may not be relevant or appropriate to the low- and middle-income context. Here, it is important to steer a path between scienticism and skepticism. Scientism regards mental disorders as essential categories, and takes a covering law approach to causality; skepticism regards mental disorders as merely social constructions, and emphasizes the role of political power in causal relations. We propose an integrative model that emphasizes the contribution of a broad range of causal mechanisms operating at biological and societal levels to mental disorders, and the consequent importance of broad-spectrum and multi-pronged approaches to intervention.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00166/fullNeuroethicsskepticismScientismglobal mental healthCausal mechanisms
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Dan J Stein
Judy eIlles
spellingShingle Dan J Stein
Judy eIlles
Beyond Scientism and Skepticism: An Integrative Approach to Global Mental Health
Frontiers in Psychiatry
Neuroethics
skepticism
Scientism
global mental health
Causal mechanisms
author_facet Dan J Stein
Judy eIlles
author_sort Dan J Stein
title Beyond Scientism and Skepticism: An Integrative Approach to Global Mental Health
title_short Beyond Scientism and Skepticism: An Integrative Approach to Global Mental Health
title_full Beyond Scientism and Skepticism: An Integrative Approach to Global Mental Health
title_fullStr Beyond Scientism and Skepticism: An Integrative Approach to Global Mental Health
title_full_unstemmed Beyond Scientism and Skepticism: An Integrative Approach to Global Mental Health
title_sort beyond scientism and skepticism: an integrative approach to global mental health
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
series Frontiers in Psychiatry
issn 1664-0640
publishDate 2015-11-01
description The global burden of disorders has shifted from infectious disease to non-communicable diseases, including neuropsychiatric disorders. Whereas infectious disease can sometimes be combated by targeting single causal mechanisms, such as prevention of contact-spread illness by hand-washing, in the case of mental disorders multiple causal mechanisms are relevant. The emergent field of global mental health has emphasized the magnitude of the treatment gap, particularly in the low and middle income world, and has paid particular attention to upstream causal factors, for example, poverty, inequality, and gender discrimination in the pathogenesis of mental disorders. However, this field has also been criticised for relying on erroneous Western paradigms of mental illness, which may not be relevant or appropriate to the low- and middle-income context. Here, it is important to steer a path between scienticism and skepticism. Scientism regards mental disorders as essential categories, and takes a covering law approach to causality; skepticism regards mental disorders as merely social constructions, and emphasizes the role of political power in causal relations. We propose an integrative model that emphasizes the contribution of a broad range of causal mechanisms operating at biological and societal levels to mental disorders, and the consequent importance of broad-spectrum and multi-pronged approaches to intervention.
topic Neuroethics
skepticism
Scientism
global mental health
Causal mechanisms
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00166/full
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