Medical Anthropology

This article provides an overview of depression as a mental health disorder from the medical, spiritual, and social perspectives. It explores the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for depression, as well as the cultural and societal factors that contribute to its prevalence. The discussion includes insights from the field of medical anthropology, highlighting the importance of considering the cultural and social context in understanding and addressing mental health issues.

Running head: MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
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Summary of medical topic:
Depression can be defined as a mental health illness that affects the perception and
thought process of an individual. Depression generally triggers feeling of sadness and despair
and leads to a lack of interest in the activities that previously seemed pleasurable to the
individual. According to American Psychiatric Association, depression can lead to a
multitude of physical and mental health problems which might limit the ability of an
individual to work or socialise1. The American Psychiatric Association, states that the
symptoms of depression can vary from being mild to severe. The symptoms generally include
feelings of being sad or upset or in a depressed mood. In addition to this, it also includes, lack
of pleasure in performing activities that previously seemed interesting2. As stated by
Aggarwal, Krishan, the general symptoms of depression also include changes in appetite,
sleep pattern and increased fatigue3. Also, an increase in fidgeting, pacing, hand wringing or
slowed movement and speech are considered as symptoms of depression. Depression also
leads to feeling of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty in thinking or making decisions and
harbouring suicidal thoughts. As mentioned by Patten, symptoms continuing over two weeks
serve as confirmatory diagnosis of depression. Depression is also triggered by a number of
physical health issues such as vitamin deficiency, brain tumour or imbalance of the thyroid
hormone. Statistical evidence suggests that approximately 4.7% of the Canadian population
above the age of 15 years suffer from depression. Further as per Patten, 11.2% of the total
Canadian population suffers from a lifetime of Major depressive disorder4. It should be noted
1 Obeyesekere, Gananath. "Illness, culture, and meaning: Some comments on the nature of traditional
medicine." Culture and Healing in Asian Societies: Anthropological, Psychiatric, and Public Health Studies
(253–263). Cambridge: Schenkman (1978).
2 Psychiatry.org. 2019. "What Is Depression?". Psychiatry.Org.
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression.
3 Aggarwal, Neil Krishan. "Cultural psychiatry, medical anthropology, and the DSM-5 field trials." Medical
anthropology 32, no. 5 (2013): 393-398.
4 Patten, Scott B., Jeanne VA Williams, Dina H. Lavorato, Jian Li Wang, Keltie McDonald, and Andrew GM
Bulloch. "Major depression in Canada: what has changed over the past 10 years?." The Canadian Journal of

2MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
in this context that depression is different from sadness and grief and does not dissolve with
time. The risk factors that trigger the incidence of Depression includes genetic inheritance,
environmental stressors, lower esteem and imbalance of chemical balance. The treatment for
depression varies depending on the intensity and makes use of a combination of
pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic methods. In addition to this, health
education and awareness in relation to the disorder helps in curing the illness. In extreme
cases of severe depressive disorder, electroconvulsive therapy is used which makes of an
electrical stimulation to induce improvement of the symptoms.
First analysis section:
The previous paragraph has shed light on the core medical aspect of the disorder and
how the disorder is perceived by advanced medical science. However, mental health issues
such as Depression remain a social stigma and are associated with a number of prejudiced
belief and superstitious theories. In this regard, it should be noted that the field of medical
anthropology considers the social, cultural, linguistic as well as biological aspect of a
disorder so as to evaluate the impact of the disorder on the wellness of the patients2. In this
context, it should be noted that depression is also different cultural theoretical perspectives
pertaining to the prevention and treatment of the disease.
The theory of Sinhalese Buddhism suggests that in order to devise an effective
treatment of depression, it is important to focus on the specific causes that contribute to
depression5. This is in order to avoid treating the symptoms blindly without assessing the
underlying specific causes. The medical perspective states that depressive can be treated with
pharmacological treatment with the help of antidepressant medications. However, research
Psychiatry 61, no. 2 (2016): 80-85.
5 Obeyesekere, G. "Depression, Buddhism, and the work of culture in Sri Lanka. In culture and depression:
Studies in the anthropology and cross-cultural psychiatry of affect and disorder, eds. by Arthur Kleinman and
Byron J. Good, 134–152. Berkeley." (1985).

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studies have suggested that antidepressants are no more found to be effective in treating
depression. Therefore, depression has assumed the form of a mental health disorder than
being referred to as a neurobiological disorder. In accordance to the theory of Sinhalese
Buddhism, depression reflects the symptoms of underlying craving such as delusion and
hostility. The theory treats depression to be equivalent to a mental affliction that results in an
unwholesome behaviour which subsequently leads to suffering for the affected individual as
well as others. The theory further states that mental affliction can be achieved by realizing the
four noble truths that state, ‘existence is equivalent to suffering’, ‘underlying cause of
suffering is desire’, ‘the end of sufferings can be achieved by ending the desire’ and ‘the
eight fold path can guide an individual to end the sufferings’6. Further, in the words of
Obeyesekere, cultivation of ethics and wisdom can help in recovering from afflictive
psychology which arises due to the interaction of the five hindrances that include, ‘craving
and attachment to materialistic pleasures’, ‘feelings of malevolence and resentment’,
‘attention deficit and dullness’, attention hyperactivity and resentment’ and debilitating
uncertainty’. The theory states that abandoning the five obstructions can help in the process
of recovery.
Second analysis section:
Another cultural perspective to depression states that cultural differences lead to racial
discrimination which triggers psychosocial stress and leads to mental health problems such as
depression7. Racial discrimination and societal stigma leads to differential access across
6 Obeyesekere, Gananath. "Illness, culture, and meaning: Some comments on the nature of traditional
medicine." Culture and Healing in Asian Societies: Anthropological, Psychiatric, and Public Health Studies
(253–263). Cambridge: Schenkman (1978).
7 Schomerus, Georg, Herbert Matschinger, and M. C. Angermeyer. "Causal beliefs of the public and social
acceptance of persons with mental illness: a comparative analysis of schizophrenia, depression and alcohol
dependence." Psychological medicine 44, no. 2 (2014): 303-314.

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healthcare services, nutritious food and socioeconomic services which triggers depression8.
This can be specifically explained in context with the historical background of the indigenous
people which mentions a dark past of oppression and racial discrimination that was enforced
by the demeaning act of colonization9. In addition to this, atrocious societal legislation such
as ‘stolen generations’ and ‘denial of basic amenities’ to the indigenous for survival can be
explained as oppression that triggered the cause of mental health issues such as depression.
As stated by (Reyes-García et al.) the cause of depression is not only restricted to the medical
causes but also depends on a multitude of societal factors such as discrimination and denial of
access to basic amenities.
Conclusion:
Therefore, to conclude, it can be mentioned that this paper has effective shed light on
the mental health disorder of Depression both from the medical perspective as well as a
spiritual and social perspective. While the Sinhalese Buddhism theory believes that
depression is more of a cause of mental affliction that can be treated if an individual walks on
the eight fold path. Another perspective of social stigma and racial discrimination was
explained that led to depression among the indigenous people. Therefore, on the basis of the
discussion on the above theories, it can be said that depression as an illness has multiple
perspectives of cause and recovery.
8 Kirmayer, Laurence J., Gregory M. Brass, and Caroline L. Tait. "The mental health of Aboriginal peoples:
Transformations of identity and community." The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry45, no. 7 (2000): 607-616.
9 Reyes-García, Victoria, Clarence C. Gravlee, Thomas W. McDade, Tomás Huanca, William R. Leonard, and
Susan Tanner. "Cultural consonance and psychological well-being. Estimates using longitudinal data from an
Amazonian society." Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry 34, no. 1 (2010): 186-203.

5MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Bibliography:
Aggarwal, Neil Krishan. "Cultural psychiatry, medical anthropology, and the DSM-5 field
trials." Medical anthropology 32, no. 5 (2013): 393-398.
Kirmayer, Laurence J., Gregory M. Brass, and Caroline L. Tait. "The mental health of
Aboriginal peoples: Transformations of identity and community." The Canadian Journal of
Psychiatry45, no. 7 (2000): 607-616.
Obeyesekere, G. "Depression, Buddhism, and the work of culture in Sri Lanka. In culture and
depression: Studies in the anthropology and cross-cultural psychiatry of affect and disorder,
eds. by Arthur Kleinman and Byron J. Good, 134–152. Berkeley." (1985).
Obeyesekere, Gananath. "Illness, culture, and meaning: Some comments on the nature of
traditional medicine." Culture and Healing in Asian Societies: Anthropological, Psychiatric,
and Public Health Studies (253–263). Cambridge: Schenkman (1978).
Patten, Scott B., Jeanne VA Williams, Dina H. Lavorato, Jian Li Wang, Keltie McDonald,
and Andrew GM Bulloch. "Major depression in Canada: what has changed over the past 10
years?." The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 61, no. 2 (2016): 80-85.
Psychiatry.org. 2019. "What Is Depression?". Psychiatry.Org.
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression.
Reyes-García, Victoria, Clarence C. Gravlee, Thomas W. McDade, Tomás Huanca, William
R. Leonard, and Susan Tanner. "Cultural consonance and psychological well-being.
Estimates using longitudinal data from an Amazonian society." Culture, Medicine, and
Psychiatry 34, no. 1 (2010): 186-203.
Schomerus, Georg, Herbert Matschinger, and M. C. Angermeyer. "Causal beliefs of the
public and social acceptance of persons with mental illness: a comparative analysis of

6MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
schizophrenia, depression and alcohol dependence." Psychological medicine 44, no. 2 (2014):
303-314.