Mental health across cultural borders

Are mental illnesses universal, and universally identifiable across the globe? Numerous critical voices emerged which have interrogated the viability of a global psychiatric nosology, some of them viewing global mental health as a form of medical imperialism. In a similar vein, psychiatric and psychological interventions have been criticised for individualising and depoliticising suffering, distress and responses to mass violence. In the current international context of major humanitarian crises and mass refugee movements, discussions about the very possibility of cross-cultural applications of mental health principles are extremely pertinent, and they affect everyday practices of UK and European mental health clinicians to an enormous extent.

This workshop aims to open some of these core questions from the point of view of clinical practice. It is aimed at mental health practitioners who treat patients of different cultural backgrounds, and seeks to address the core theoretical and practical challenges which such practitioners are facing in the current UK and global context. The workshop gathers world-leading experts in transcultural psychiatry, psychology and psychotherapy, who will address some of the following questions:

The workshop will consist of presentations by the invited speakers, and structured group discussions with participants to reflect on professional practice.