Cultural construction of schizophrenia: A proposed paradigm shift

In his article Laungani intends to show that a paradigm shift concerning re search and therapy of schizophrenia is necessary. He reports recent researc h results - all based on the medical model of schizophrenia and points out that they didn't bring any essential progress in the treatment of the schiz ophrenic disease. Laungani answers the question why despite evidence to the contrary psychiatrists continue to persist with the organic model. There e xist political and financial reasons on the one hand and social and psychol ogical ones on the of her hand. The Indian construction of schizophrenia is discussed as an example for a fundamentally different understanding of the schizophrenic disease in other than Western cultures. Due to an acute shor tage of resources, cultural beliefs and competing models of mental disorder and healing in India, the conditions for therapy and research are totally different from Western conditions. Laungani concludes with the wish that cu ltures meet on equal terms and as equal partners in order to share and to l earn from each other and to find tentative answers. So a paradigm shift and a genuine multicultural research into schizophrenia could be established.