The Science and Ethics of Suffering: Perspectives on Depression and Anhedonia

Catalog description

Prerequisite: prior course in psychology or related social sciences This seminar will introduce students to historical and contemporary scientific, clinical, and cultural understandings of depression, with a special focus on anhedonia (typically defined as the loss of pleasure or interest in formerly rewarding activities). Drawing from psychological research, memoirs and historical accounts, art, and media, students will examine how the depressive syndrome is conceptualized, diagnosed, treated, and moralized across time and context. Key topics will include treatment-resistant depression, cultural critiques of diagnosis, neurobiological models of mood and motivation, emerging therapies and interventions, and the ethical implications of intervening on emotional suffering. Throughout the semester, we will ask: What is depression, how is it treated, and why is it treated this way? This course is especially well-suited for students with prior coursework in psychology or the social sciences, as well as those with interests in clinical and health psychology, mental-health advocacy, or public health. Intercultural Aspects of Human Development