Mental Illness or Political Pathology? A Case Study in the Political Framing of Psychiatric Conditions

Abstract A political framing of mental health emphasizes political conditions as contributing causal factors to psychiatric conditions. In this article, I will argue that highlighting political factors matters for three reasons. First, it can further our understanding of the causal genesis and provenance of psychiatric conditions. Second, it can indicate alternative interventions, including those targeting the political sphere or the broader community rather than just the individual. Third, it can point to inadequacies in existing psychiatric diagnoses and reorient clinicians and researchers toward novel diagnostic categories. The case study used to support these claims is the Israeli military occupation of Palestine.