Globalization, culture and mental health [Editorial]

The idea for this special edition of the International Review of Psychiatry edited by Rachel Tribe and Steve Melhuish arose out of a conference with a similar title, ‘Globalisation, culture and psychology’, held at the University of Leicester in 2012, where a number of the journal contributors presented their ideas.

Globalization, culture and mental health is a complex, multidimensional theme, potentially covering large and diverse areas of literature and practice as well as a range of contemporary debates and politically charged narratives. It is not possible to do justice to all of the potential avenues that could be explored; as such, this special edition is inevitably partial and selective in what it covers. It comprises articles written by authors from a number of countries: Cuba, Ethiopia, India, Sri Lanka and the UK. Many of the contributors are applied psychologists and as such there is a strong focus on the intersection between psychology and the broader themes of globalization and culture. However, there are also articles about the global mental health movement and cultural formulation written by psychiatrists and a service user/expert by experience.