Applied Approach
Antidepressant Consumption Across Europe
Applied medical anthropologist’s look at a specific health problem and evaluate what can be done to better develop a health system with respect to that problem with the use of research and analysis. The views of these specialists can be very finite, as the case when studying a local community, or very broad, as one may study the idea of globalization or world interactions. Globalization has contributed both positively and negatively to the medical world. The applied approach to medical anthropology is a very important one when referring to depression and really breaks down the illness explaining things statistically that perhaps might not yet be explained biologically or psychologically.
The globalization of depression, specifically with respect to treatments, is one that is documented thoroughly throughout history. Not so much can be said about the spread of the illness because it’s not contagious and it has been around for quite some time. Treatments are a different story, as globalization grew many doctors studying pharmaceutical intervention we’re able to share ideas and work together to develop drugs that would be most effective. Also as the antidepressant world grew bigger in “western medicine” countries, globalization allowed for easier exportation, increasing the availability for under-developed countries as well as some practicing traditional medicine to acquire the drugs if wanted or needed. The increase in antidepressants consumption from 2000-2009 amongst European countries can be seen on the graph to the left. Along with easier access came increased division between cultures as many people would refuse to take the drugs worried about potential side effects, thus also creating a divide between patient and clinician (Bhugra). These divisions can be viewed as a negative outcome that came along with globalization but knowledge about the drugs continues to develop making the pills more accepted.
Clinicians or doctors generally don’t take the ideology of culture into their practice as much as medical anthropologists. Doctors may overlook a few things whether it be with diagnosing or treating their patients suffering from depression. For instance, the culture bound syndromes, although the symptoms look like that of depression, the patient might not accept a diagnosis when they believe it’s something more common to their culture. An example where treatment may be overlooked by doctors can be seen in an anthropological study done with South-East Asians in the U.S. who have received a prescription for antidepressants. The study showed that 61% of the population who received the drug were not actually taking it with no detectable blood levels of their prescribed pharmaceutical (Bhugra). Now that this problem is out there anthropologists can do more studies into why the drug is not being taken. Finding the answer to that question can lead to doctors adjusting how they attack their patients treatment, making it more suitable for their culture.
Rebecca Seligman, an assistant professor at Northwestern University, is a medical anthropologist doing most of her research with mental health associated with cultures and religions. Currently her research consists of looking for a link between diabetes and depression within Mexican Americans. She takes a ethnomedical approach looking at the specific ideologies of the Mexican American culture and potential links between depression and diabetes. Other research she’s been involved with includes studies with mental health and religious participation in Brazil and also post-traumatic stress disorder in Latino immigrants in the U.S. All of the studies provide a good general idea to how an anthropologist may attack illnesses and the variability between cultures. Rebecca is looking specifically at one culture at a time whereas another anthropologist may look and compare two or more.
The globalization of depression, specifically with respect to treatments, is one that is documented thoroughly throughout history. Not so much can be said about the spread of the illness because it’s not contagious and it has been around for quite some time. Treatments are a different story, as globalization grew many doctors studying pharmaceutical intervention we’re able to share ideas and work together to develop drugs that would be most effective. Also as the antidepressant world grew bigger in “western medicine” countries, globalization allowed for easier exportation, increasing the availability for under-developed countries as well as some practicing traditional medicine to acquire the drugs if wanted or needed. The increase in antidepressants consumption from 2000-2009 amongst European countries can be seen on the graph to the left. Along with easier access came increased division between cultures as many people would refuse to take the drugs worried about potential side effects, thus also creating a divide between patient and clinician (Bhugra). These divisions can be viewed as a negative outcome that came along with globalization but knowledge about the drugs continues to develop making the pills more accepted.
Clinicians or doctors generally don’t take the ideology of culture into their practice as much as medical anthropologists. Doctors may overlook a few things whether it be with diagnosing or treating their patients suffering from depression. For instance, the culture bound syndromes, although the symptoms look like that of depression, the patient might not accept a diagnosis when they believe it’s something more common to their culture. An example where treatment may be overlooked by doctors can be seen in an anthropological study done with South-East Asians in the U.S. who have received a prescription for antidepressants. The study showed that 61% of the population who received the drug were not actually taking it with no detectable blood levels of their prescribed pharmaceutical (Bhugra). Now that this problem is out there anthropologists can do more studies into why the drug is not being taken. Finding the answer to that question can lead to doctors adjusting how they attack their patients treatment, making it more suitable for their culture.
Rebecca Seligman, an assistant professor at Northwestern University, is a medical anthropologist doing most of her research with mental health associated with cultures and religions. Currently her research consists of looking for a link between diabetes and depression within Mexican Americans. She takes a ethnomedical approach looking at the specific ideologies of the Mexican American culture and potential links between depression and diabetes. Other research she’s been involved with includes studies with mental health and religious participation in Brazil and also post-traumatic stress disorder in Latino immigrants in the U.S. All of the studies provide a good general idea to how an anthropologist may attack illnesses and the variability between cultures. Rebecca is looking specifically at one culture at a time whereas another anthropologist may look and compare two or more.
Bibliography:
"Antidepressant Consumption Across European Countries 2000-2009." OECD-iLibrary. Accessed August 14, 2013. http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/health_glance-2011-en/04/11/g4-11-02.html?content&itemId=/content/chapter/health_glance-2011-39-en&containerItemId=/content/serial/19991312&accessItemIds=/content/book/health_glance-2011-en&mime/html.
Bhugra, and Mastrogianni. "Globalisation and mental disorders." The British Journal of Psychiatry. Accessed August 14, 2013. http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/184/1/10.long#sec-10.
"Globalization: Business, Technology, and Culture." Accessed August 14, 2013. http://esl-multicultural-stuff-page4.blogspot.com/p/globalization-in-classroom.html.
Seligman, Rebecca. "Seligman." Anthropology Department, WCAS, Northwestern University. Accessed August 14, 2013. http://www.anthropology.northwestern.edu/faculty/Seligman.htm.
"Antidepressant Consumption Across European Countries 2000-2009." OECD-iLibrary. Accessed August 14, 2013. http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/health_glance-2011-en/04/11/g4-11-02.html?content&itemId=/content/chapter/health_glance-2011-39-en&containerItemId=/content/serial/19991312&accessItemIds=/content/book/health_glance-2011-en&mime/html.
Bhugra, and Mastrogianni. "Globalisation and mental disorders." The British Journal of Psychiatry. Accessed August 14, 2013. http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/184/1/10.long#sec-10.
"Globalization: Business, Technology, and Culture." Accessed August 14, 2013. http://esl-multicultural-stuff-page4.blogspot.com/p/globalization-in-classroom.html.
Seligman, Rebecca. "Seligman." Anthropology Department, WCAS, Northwestern University. Accessed August 14, 2013. http://www.anthropology.northwestern.edu/faculty/Seligman.htm.