Studium Generale Lecture: Crazy like us?

Crazy like us?

How we respond to difficulties in life depends on where we live. Our emotions, thoughts and behavior are shaped by culture. If we have mental health problems, we may attribute it to stress, dysfunctioning of our brain, relational problems, disturbed spiritual balance, a curse or punishment from God. Psychiatry tries to understand and treat mental health problems, but is a Western concept. A biomedical, individually oriented view on mental problems has its value, but is too narrow, as it tends to overlook other ways of expressing, explaining and solving distress. Transcultural psychiatry is concerned with the cultural context of mental disorders and the challenges of addressing cultural diversity in psychiatric services. In this lecture, I will illustrate the principles of transcultural psychiatry with examples from my work as a psychiatrist and psychosis researcher among people with a migrant background in the Netherlands, traditional healers in South Africa and the indigenous population of Surinam.  

Prof. Wim Veling

Wim Veling is psychiatrist, epidemiologist and professor of psychiatry at University Medical Center Groningen. He is head of the department for psychosis, where young people with a first episode of psychosis are treated. He leads research projects on the social context of psychosis across the world, focusing on early intervention, transcultural psychiatry, global mental health and virtual reality applications.