Disturbing Spirits: Mental Illness, Trauma, and Treatment in Modern Syria and Lebanon

The book investigates the psychological toll of conflict in the Middle East during the twentieth century, including how spiritual and religious frameworks influence practice and theory. It argues that the attempt to implement "modern" cosmopolitan biomedicine has failed due to political instability and political traumas, and narrow definitions of modern medicine that excluded spirituality and locally meaningful cultural practices. It connects the discussion of global responsibility to scholarly debates about human suffering and the moral call to caregiving.

Format: Hardback
Length: 370 pages
Publication date: 29 June 2021
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press

The psychological impact of conflict in the Middle East during the 20th century is a complex and multifaceted issue that requires careful examination. In her book, Disturbing Spirits, Beverly A. Tsacoyianis delves into the understudied realm of mental health treatment in war-torn Middle Eastern nations. Through a blend of social, cultural, and medical history research methods, alongside approaches in disability and trauma studies, Tsacoyianis demonstrates that the history of mental illness in Syria and Lebanon since the 1890s is intricately linked to diverse, yet not necessarily mutually exclusive, ideas about legitimate healing.

Tsacoyianis explores the encounters between "Western" psychiatry and local practices, highlighting the challenges and failures of implementing "modern" cosmopolitan biomedicine in these regions. Political instability, political traumas, and narrow definitions of modern medicine that excluded spirituality and locally meaningful cultural practices played significant roles in this failure.

In her analysis, Tsacoyianis examines hospital records, ethnographic data, oral history research, historical fiction, and journalistic nonfiction to shed light on the mental health treatment provided to Syrians and Lebanese. She argues that psychiatrists presented mental health treatment not only as a means to control or cure mental illness but also as a modernizing worldview to challenge popular notions about jinn-based origins of mental illness and promote acceptance of psychiatry. However, the absence of spiritual therapies in treatment ultimately delegitimized psychiatry among lower classes.

Tsacoyianis further explores the tensions that developed between psychiatrists and vernacular healers as political transformations devastated collective and individual psyches and disrupted social order. She argues that the mental health landscape in the Middle East has been shaped by a complex interplay of historical, cultural, and political factors, and that understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing effective mental health interventions in the region.

Disturbing Spirits is a valuable contribution to the field of mental health studies, particularly in the context of the Middle East. It sheds light on the historical and cultural factors that have shaped mental health practices and challenges, and provides insights into the complex dynamics between psychiatry, local practices, and social order. By examining the experiences of individuals and communities affected by conflict, Tsacoyianis offers a nuanced understanding of the mental health toll of war and the importance of holistic approaches to healing.

Weight: 678g
Dimension: 159 x 235 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780268200725