Historicizing Indian psychiatry

Abstract

Our historical endeavour to map Indian psychiatry has largely remained linear, positivistic and evolutionary. Whether it starts from the ancient times or modern, it shows our past as a tale of victory for the western science, without questioning the borrowed paradigm. The use of historical methods for serious enquiry of psychiatry has been ignored. Emergence of a new genre of historicism that is critical of both colonialism and psychiatry as a universal science, has raised hopes to critically review the emergence of psychiatric knowledge.

Roadmap to Indian Psychiatry

“…De. [ 11 12 ] The society has grown into a group of 2000 Fellows (right of franchise) and many ordinary members. The activities of IPS are also delegated to state branches coming under five zones.…”

How do psychiatrists in India construct their professional identity? A critical literature review

“…Finally, such methods of inquiry may help “historicize”[ 147 148 ] the nature of Indian psychiatrists’ professional identity by shedding light on how colonization, culture, and identity continue to impact on identify formation and its changing configuration. Indeed, the current dominance of Western epistemologies in teaching curricula evokes a “cultural invasion”[ 149 ] of the traditional Indian ways of dealing with mental illness by a largely Western-dominated biomedical psychiatric culture.…”

Psychiatry must not be separated from its historical and cultural context

“…Basu's call for a proper implementation of the historical and cultural perspective in research on Indian psychiatry and its history is highly justified 1. This commentary will mainly reinforce his view.…”