Restoring Mental Health in India. Pluralistic Therapies and Concepts.

Edited by Brigitte Sébastia, Oxford University Press, 2009, viii, 318 p.
Language : English 795 Rs

Divided into three sections, the essays by experts in the field explore three kinds of remedies used to manage mental disorders ranging from severe illnesses to mental depression. The first section deals with codified Indian therapies, including siddha, ayurveda, and yoga; the second discusses the therapeutic role of religious places and figures, and the third focuses on psychiatry and psychoanalysis in India, both with historical and ethnographic materials.

An important consensus emerges through the diverse points of view expressed by the contributors. It says that any coherent approach to mental health in India must take into account the holistic environment. This includes religion, health policy, and the common understanding of mental illness and wellness.

The contributors are: Pilar Galiana Abal, Renu Addlakha, C. Kumar Babu, Gilles Bibeau & Ellen Corin, Marine Carrin, Nadia Giguère, Florence Halder, Sanjeev Jain & Pratima Murthy, Jean Nimylowycz, Brigitte Sébastia and O. Somasundaram

Keywords: Siddha, Ayurveda, yoga, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, religious therapy, mental illness