A new study published in the International Journal of Social Psychiatry challenges traditional mental health approaches and interventions by examining global mental health, biopolitics, and depression in Ethiopia.
Led by Gojjam Limenih of Western University, the study explores the narratives of 20 Ethiopian individuals diagnosed with depression, and situates their experience within biographical and cultural ecosocial contexts. The authors advocate for moving beyond narrow interpretive frameworks for global mental health practices and call for a reconceptualization of depression that emphasizes the socioeconomic determinants of psychological suffering. Their thematic analysis of in-depth interviews revealed the following:
“Patients’ experiences and conception of depression are deeply intertwined with Ethiopia’s sociocultural, economic, and spiritual context. Depression was often described as a state of being ‘impaired in life’, reflecting the complex interplay of individual struggles and societal pressures. Integrating quotes from patients, we demonstrated in this analysis the ways in which biographically specific challenges, societal pressures, and mental well- being are understood by study participants in accordance with Ethiopian cultural and religious norms.”
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