‘Anthropology and its relevance to Psychiatry’ – Free IJPM Article

The Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine is delighted to release an article by E.A. Roch entitled ‘Anthropology and its relevance to psychiatry’ which has been made freely available to all, including non-members of the College. The paper is based on a presentation given by E.A. Roch to the AGM of the CPsychI on 4 March 2016 in Dublin.

The article looks at how Anthropology can offer a holistic approach to psychiatry by recognising how the society or culture in which one lives can affect one’s practices and how they cope with common problems:

“Cultural differences are obviously relevant in our increasingly diverse society and in the globalisation of health problems and solutions. Understanding the perspectives of patients and health professionals is crucial for the successful design and operation of health services. Appreciation of patient beliefs and perspectives helps in understanding the expression of illness and response to intervention, and is essential for developing patient-centred care. Engaging patients in the self-management of illness and paying attention to complexity are especially important in the management of chronic disease which, by definition, has a prolonged course, often in conjunction with other chronic illnesses, and mostly away from the immediate care of clinicians and health services.”

We welcome you to circulate this link to the article (click here) to your colleagues, share on social media, or disseminate as preferred.