Abstract
Viewing “mental illness” as behavior comprehensible in terms of communication and interaction within social systems—especially the family—rather than as individual “pathology” has recently led to revolutionary developments in psychiatric thinking and practice. Anthropologists have been central in developing the conception of communication underlying this advance and the general ideas about behavior and social interaction involved closely parallel anthropological views, yet there has been little feedback from psychiatry to anthropology during this period. This paper outlines the basic features of this communicational viewpoint, describes its significance for psychiatry, and suggests related potential applications in anthropology.
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