Abstract
This paper adopts an anthropological approach to the understanding of psychiatry in post-colonial India. It examines how national and local contexts modify the universal theories and practices that come to define psychiatry as a medical speciality. It begins with a brief history of psychiatry in India. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of seminal writings by Indian psychiatrists to highlight the cultural underpinnings of concepts of mental health, mental illness, and treatment. Certain key themes of anthropological interest emerging in the course of this analysis are the existence of a strong ethnological paradigm in Indian psychiatry, a range of culture-bound conditions, and the development of culturally sensitive therapeutic approaches.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
