Anthropology and mental health: Reflections on interdisciplinary growth

The publication of Joseph Westermeyer, ed., Anthropology and Mental Health: Setting a New Course, is the departure point for taking stock of past and present links between anthropology and psychiatry. These reflections relate historical trends to the conference volume which contains examples of recent interdisciplinary research. The article critically reviews some of these and then suggests other recent or current work, not mentioned, which the author considers representative of some of the promising results of anthropological contributions to psychiatric interests. Questions are raised, but left unanswered, which might be further examined in attempts to continue long established interdisciplinary collaboration.