Psychosis: Global Perspectives

Psychotic disorders are a major public health challenge. Psychoses are associated with significant individual, familial, and societal costs. Yet, our understanding of these conditions is limited because the overwhelming majority of research is conducted in a small number of countries in North America, Europe, and Australasia, which together comprise only around 16% of the world's population. There are consequently substantial gaps in our knowledge of psychoses, and the need for a global perspective is obvious.

Psychosis: Global Perspectives comprises two parts: In the first half of the book, the authors review the current evidence base on psychoses around the world by theme, from epidemiology to human rights, highlighting commonalities and differences between settings and illustrating the gaps in our knowledge. The second half of the book synthesises existing research from nine countries in the Global South, providing detailed accounts of ongoing research programmes, local treatment systems, and cultural contexts, and contrasting these with theory and data generated from the Global North. Together, these sections illustrate how experiences of psychosis may be shaped by social context, and the importance of diversifying the settings in which research on psychosis is conducted.

Academically rigorous yet accessibly written, this new title addresses the substantial inequalities in literature and attention in the global understanding of psychotic disorders.