The Politics of Mental Health

Catalog description

In what sense is mental health political, and how can political science contribute to discussions around mental health? In this course, we will investigate how mental illness and mental health have been defined over time and examine historical developments in mental health policy from the 19th century to the post-Covid era. We will then turn our attention to how politics and mental health affect one another. How do mental health diagnoses (particularly clinical depression and anxiety) affect political attitudes and political behavior? In turn, how do political events and public policy outcomes affect individuals' propensity for anxiety or depression? The course will conclude by considering the mental health of politicians themselves, the status of mental health care today and factors that will shape access, treatment and outcomes into the future.