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Published on: April 23, 2014
The Brain Disorders Debate, Chekhov, and Mental Health Humanities
Jussi Valtonen1,2, Bradley Lewis3
1Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, Helsinki, 00014, Finland. jussi.valtonen@helsinki.fi.
Abstract:
The contemporary brain disorders debate echoes a century-long conflict between two different approaches to mental suffering: one that relies on natural sciences and another drawing from the arts and humanities. We review contemporary neuroimaging studies and find that neither side has won. The study of mental differences needs both the sciences and the arts and humanities. To help develop an approach mindful of both, we turn to physician-writer Anton Chekhov's story "A Nervous Breakdown." We review the value of the arts and humanities as a coequal partner with natural sciences in the creation of a robust mental health humanities.
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