The Oxford Handbook of Cultural Neuroscience and Global Mental Health

Book excerpt: Cultural neuroscience and global mental health is an interdisciplinary field of study that integrates theoretical, methodological, and empirical approaches in cultural neuroscience to address the major challenges in global mental health. The field is concerned with identifying the root causes, risks, and preventative factors in global mental health, with a view to improving and achieving health equity for all people across the world. The Oxford Handbook of Cultural Neuroscience and Global Mental Health is the first ever comprehensive overview of this field. It explores how culture can influence the neurobiological mechanisms underlying mental health. The book is divided into 5 parts: Part I introduces theoretical foundations in cultural neuroscience and global mental health. The second part provides reviews investigating the etiology of mental health disorders across cultures. Part 3 discusses the societal and environmental influences that affect prevention and early intervention in global mental health. This is followed by a section examining strategies for the improvement of treatment and expansion of access to care in global mental health. The book ends with a review of the cultural and socioeconomic factors that affect the prevalence of mental disorders across ethnic groups. The book will be an essential educational resource for both training and practising mental health professionals, in addition to those in the fields of cultural neuroscience and public health.