Decolonizing madness? Transcultural psychiatry, international order and birth of a ‘global psyche’ in the aftermath of the Second World War

This article offers a transnational account of the historical origins and development of the concept of ‘global psyche’ and transcultural psychiatry. It argues that the concept of universal, global psyche emerged in the aftermath of the Second World War and during decolonization, when West European...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of global history 2022-03, Vol.17 (1), p.20-41
Main Author: Antić, Ana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
20th century
Aftermath
Anthropology
Citizenship
Civilization
Conceptual development
Decolonization
International organizations
International relations
Mental disorders
Mental health
Mental health care
Political history
Postcolonialism
Postwar reconstruction
Professional relationships
Psychiatry
Psychological mechanisms
Social psychiatry
Transnationalism
Trends
Universalism
World War II
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Summary:This article offers a transnational account of the historical origins and development of the concept of ‘global psyche’ and transcultural psychiatry. It argues that the concept of universal, global psyche emerged in the aftermath of the Second World War and during decolonization, when West European psychiatry strove to leave behind its colonial legacies and lay the foundation for a more inclusive conversation between Western and non-Western mental health communities. In the second half of the twentieth century, leading ‘psy’ professionals across the globe set about identifying and defining the universal psychological mechanisms supposedly shared among all cultures (and ‘civilizations’). The article explores this far-reaching psychiatric, social and cultural search for a new definition of ‘common humanity’, relating it to the social and political history of decolonization, and to the post-war reconstruction and search for stable peace. It provides a transnational account of a series of interlinked developments and trends around the world in order to arrive at a global history of the decolonization of mental health science.
ISSN:1740-0228
1740-0236
DOI:10.1017/S1740022821000115