A Hopeful Dystopian Future for Social and Cultural Psychiatry

Social and cultural psychiatry offer powerful paradigms of research and practice and are concerned with similar influences on mental health and illness. These disciplines also receive varying levels of priority or recognition as valued bodies of knowledge to inform practice, policy and legislation. This short essay explores the similarities and differences between social psychiatry and cultural psychiatry, and proposes important tensions and concerns that require resolution, alongside future lines of research to inform practice.