Depression and Globalization: The Politics of Mental Health in the 21st Century / Edition 1

by Carl Walker

Overview

*First book dedicated to the political aspects of depression, specifically the relationship between globalization and depression *Relevant text for those with preliminary knowledge of some of the more detailed and complex psychological, political and economic issues, which is explained so the reader does not feel excluded by the presentation *Detailed and informative enough for academics and professionals who work in the mental health sphere In the coming years the World Health Organization predicts that depression will rank just behind heart conditions in terms of the global disease burden. Yet, according to a provocative new book, mental health systems often reinforce the depressive disorders they aim to treat. In Depression and Globalization, Carl Walker analyzes the human cost of recent political and economic events as main contributors to the rise of depression, particularly in the U.S. and Britain. Starting in the 1980s, income and educational disparities, financial and job insecurity-by-products of multinational business-have grown in parallel with increasing feelings of hopelessness and isolation. These sociopolitical stressors, Walker asserts, have not only added to the prevalence of depressive disorders, but have profoundly influenced their conceptualization and treatment. Balancing individual lives and societal health, the author identifies challenges rarely discussed in the mental health field, and steps the community can take to improve their outcome. Included in the coverage: The stigma of depression in the context of recent political and economic events. The trickle-down mental health effects of global politics. The "depression industry": its economic context, and how its biological and individual emphasis can contribute to patients' core problems. Public attitudes toward depression, and how they are shaped. Community and society-wide initiatives for mental well-being, Depression and Globalization ope

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780387727127
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	10/18/2007
Edition description:	2008
Pages:	203
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.02(d)

About the Author

Dr. Carl Walker is a post-doctoral fellow based in the department of Mental Health Sciences at the University College-London. Dr. Walker currently manages a European-wide, EC-funded four year research project involving the identifcation risk factors for future episodes of depression for use in a General Practice context.

In addition, Dr. Walker reviews papers for Psychology and Health and books for the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health.

Table of Contents

Preface     vii
Acknowledgments     xiii
Depression
What Is Depression?     3
The Stigma of Depression: History and Context     31
Globalization
The New Right and the 1980s     61
Globalization: Definitions and Debates     96
Mental Health
The Structures of Society and Depression     133
The Mental Health Sciences and the Depression Industry     158
Depression and the Future     182
References     190
Index     199

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Steven T. Herron, MD (Assurance Health and Wellness)
Description: Written by an author attempting to "think outside the box," this book is a personal treatise of depression and its relation to political and social events, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States since the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Purpose: The author attempts to illustrate the importance of depression (and by association, other mental health issues) in "the context of its political and economic history" in order to "redress the balance that has contributed to (depressions) shifting precipitously close to a psychiatric epidemic."
Audience: This book might appeal to those interested in the history of mental illness (mainly depression) and its relation to global events, including sociopolitical changes occurring constantly throughout the world.
Features: Void of any tables, graphs, photographs, or other common, visually appealing breaks, this book suffers from its bland appearance and seemingly endless prose. Even the transitions between chapters can be easily missed unless the reader is paying particularly close attention. The book ends with slightly over 200 references, many timely, though more than a few are more than 10 years old.
Assessment: There are few books I am aware of with this unique focus on the relationship of global socioeconomic and political changes to depression and its impact on society. And while ideas about these theories should be openly discussed, it is unclear if these concepts are necessarily ripe for publication. An author's perspective, provided without substantial fact, becomes mostly conjecture that may or may not be well founded. Fortunately, to his credit, the author recognizes the limitations of his ideas and acknowledges them at the outset. As a result, this book should be used more as a starting point for discussion and further research, and less as text based on settled fact.

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