Western colonists’ seizure of Indigenous lands and subsequent abusive assimilation efforts continue to harm and traumatize Indigenous people, leading to high rates of mental illness, chronic disease, incarceration and suicide. Psychologists are researching whether mental health programs founded on Indigenous traditions can help these communities reconnect with their culture and heal, Sujata Gupta reported in “Culture aids Indigenous mental health” (SN: 9/23/23, p. 14).
Mental health programs founded on Indigenous cultural practices, such as welcoming spirituality and a heartfelt connection to the land, can only help Indigenous people, Seeman continued. “Encouraging such profound wholeness may be what is required to start to progress against the horrendous intergenerational trauma that Indigenous peoples have suffered. What you’re describing goes beyond the whole person to include the whole planet, something the rest of us must learn if we are to avert even more catastrophe.”
Deep brain stimulation, a technology that pulses electricity into the brain, is providing relief to some patients with severe depression, Laura Sanders reported in “Lifting depression with brain implants” (SN: 9/23/23, p. 16).
“Thank you for reporting on deep brain stimulation with such compassion for patients and families,” reader Kevin Cole wrote. “I particularly appreciated your nuanced discussion of stigma.” Many people with severe depression and other mental illnesses, including one of Cole’s family members, experience stigma and other roadblocks in their daily lives.
2023-11-12 07:15:00
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