Decolonizing Global Mental Health: The Psychiatrization of the Majority World

190 Pages·2014·0.953 MB·English

by  China Mills

Decolonizing Global Mental Health
Decolonizing Global Mental Health is a book that maps a strange irony. The World
Health Organization (WHO) and the Movement for Global Mental Health are
calling to ‘scale up’ access to psychological and psychiatric treatments globally,
particularly within the global South. Simultaneously, in the global North, psychiatry
and its often chemical treatments are coming under increased criticism (from both
those who take the medication and those in the position to prescribe it).
The book argues that it is imperative to explore what counts as evidence within
Global Mental Health, and seeks to de-familiarize current ‘Western’ conceptions of
psychology and psychiatry using postcolonial theory. It leads us to wonder whether
we should call for equality in global access to psychiatry, whether everyone should
have the right to a psychotropic citizenship and whether mental health can, or
should, be global. As such, it is ideal reading for undergraduate and postgraduate
students, as well as researchers in the fi elds of critical psychology and psychiatry,
social and health psychology, cultural studies, public health and social work.
China Mills is a researcher at the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative
(OPHI) at the University of Oxford. Her research interests span interdisciplinary
approaches to exploring the interconnections between Global Mental Health,
psychiatry, the pharmaceutical industry and colonialism.
Concepts for Critical Psychology: Disciplinary
Boundaries Re-thought
Series editor: Ian Parker
Developments inside psychology that question the history of the discipline
and the way it functions in society have led many psychologists to look
outside the discipline for new ideas. This series draws on cutting-edge
critiques from just outside psychology in order to complement and question
critical arguments emerging inside. The authors provide new perspectives
on subjectivity from disciplinary debates and cultural phenomena adjacent
to traditional studies of the individual.
The books in the series are useful for advanced-level undergraduate and
postgraduate students, researchers and lecturers in psychology and other
related disciplines such as cultural studies, geography, literary theory,
philosophy, psychotherapy, social work and sociology.
Published Titles:
Surviving Identity
Vulnerability and the psychology of recognition
Kenneth McLaughlin
Psychologisation in Times of Globalisation
Jan De Vos
Social Identity in Question
Construction, subjectivity and critique
Parisa Dashtipour
Cultural Ecstasies
Drugs, gender and the social imaginary
Ilana Mountian
Forthcoming Titles:
Ethics and Psychology
Beyond codes of practice
Calum Neill
Self Research
The intersection of therapy and research
Ian Law
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Decolonizing Global
Mental Health
The psychiatrization of the majority
world
China Mills
First published 2014
by Routledge
27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2014 China Mills
The right of China Mills to be identifi ed as author of this work has been
asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Mills, China.
Decolonizing global mental health : the psychiatrization of the majority
world / China Mills.
pages cm. – (Concepts for critical psychology)
1. Mental health policy. 2. Psychiatry, Transcultural. 3. Mental health
services–Standards. 4. World health.
I. Title.
RA790.5.M56 2014
362.19689–dc23 2013022955
ISBN: 978-1-84872-159-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-84872-160-9 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-79675-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Cenveo Publisher Services
This book is dedicated to the memories of Marion and
Arthur – my Grandparents – for stories and butterfl y
buns, and well kept secrets – for everything.
It is also a warning. To those not (yet) psychiatrized –
beware.
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Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgements xiii
Introduction
De-familiarizing Global Mental Health: A methodology
of encounters 1
1 Making mental health a reality for all 17
2 ‘Harvesting despair’ – Suicide notes to the state and
psychotropics in the post 35
3 Educating, marketing, mongering 51
4 The turn, the look: Interpellating the mad
colonial subject 72
5 ‘Necessary evils’: When torture is treatment and
violence is normal 86
6 Sly normality: Between quiescence and revolt 108
7 Decolonizing Global Mental Health 122
Bibliography 152
Index 171