Tag: Mental health
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Which weighs upon the heart
Murad KhanKarachi, Pakistan I seldom see patients without an appointment, which for an initial patient can take up to an hour, often longer. Fortunately for this couple, the booked patient rang in to say he could not come because of some transport problem, so I was able to see them. “Doctor saheb- we have come…
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Gilyarovsky and Gannushkin psychiatric hospitals in Moscow
Sergei JarginMoscow, Russia The Gilyarovsky and Gannushkin psychiatric hospitals can be discussed together because the latter was founded in 1913 as a branch of the former, becoming a separate institution only in 1931. Both hospitals are located not far from each other, near the Sokolniki Park and Yauza River.1 The Gilyarovsky hospital, founded 1808 (Fig.…
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Using book clubs in higher education
William PensonUnited Kingdom In higher education, professors are encouraged to blend teaching with a range of approaches. One such approach might be found in the use of book clubs or, as they are sometimes called, literature circles. Book clubs are a relatively recent social phenomenon with a range of groups springing up in libraries, bookshops,…
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Comics as a means of observation and reflection
Rose GlennersterBrighton, United Kingdom Comics have long been used as a way of attacking cultural and political hierarchy, as has the art of caricature.1,2 They can also be used as a way to explore and understand the link between the medical profession and the rest of society.3 My comic is not intended to be a…
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Feminist epistemologies in A Woman Under the Influence
Heather StewartLouisville, Kentucky, United States In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s seminal short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrative presents a woman presumably driven to the point of insanity by her gendered social role and restriction to the domestic sphere. This story represents a fictional account of the problems of pervasive and unchallenged gender norms, problematic gendered…
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Géricault’s art of insanity
Caitlin MeyerScotland “Now I am disoriented and confused. I try in vain to find support; nothing seems solid, everything escapes me, deceives me. Our earthly hopes and desires are only vain fancies, our successes mere mirages that we try to grasp,” scrawled Théodore Géricault in a letter to his friend Dedreux-Dorcy in 1810.1 A master…
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On madness, poetry, and creativity
Jeanne PetrolleChicago, Illinois, United States Nineteen years ago I lost my mind. Working three low-wage jobs and plying myself with caffeine, wine, and marijuana, I became obsessed with a rising indie rock star. Insomnia and euphoria obliterated my good sense. After meeting the target of my obsession, I left my husband and all three jobs…
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Mood and anxiety disorders or a return to “neurosis”?
Brian SharplessPullman, Washington, United States Since the publication of the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)1, explicit recognition of the overlap between anxiety and depression markedly declined. However, a long historical tradition tracing its roots back to the ancient world (i.e. Greeks and Romans) viewed these two phenomena as…
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Sunbathing the mind: faith healing in India
Karen De LoozeBelgium Understanding mental health care in an Indian context involves a long and adventurous exploration of faith healing. In India, people who suffer from mental illness frequently employ faith healing as an alternative to psychiatric treatment (Raguram et al. 2002). Faith healing often takes place in the temple of a Hindu deity and…