The Diagnostic Divide: Molecular Psychiatry, PTSD, and Ethical Dilemmas in Disaster Mental Health Response in Japan
This paper, drawing on 18 months of fieldwork at a Japanese disaster psychiatry research institute, explores the intersection of molecular psychiatry and mental health care in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster. It delves into the bioethical challenges associated with integrating molecular advancements like biomarkers in diagnosing and treating PTSD, as perceived by Japanese practitioners. The disparity between biotechnological innovations and symptom classification in PTSD creates a significant barrier, impacting the effectiveness of widespread mental health screenings and the development of new therapeutic strategies, including drug treatments, in disaster-impacted communities. The paper discusses the DSM-5’s limitations, as critiqued by the NIMH in 2013 and others, in terms of failures in ‘biocommensuration’, highlighting a global issue in psychiatric diagnostics. Japan’s context is particularly relevant due to its history of natural disasters and the purported psychological trauma they cause. The rapid advancement in neurobiology and genomics in Japan, while beneficial for disease detection and prediction, presents implementation challenges in existing PTSD diagnostic frameworks. The paper posits that the misalignment of these scientific advances with current diagnostic categories raises ethical issues in representing and addressing disaster-related mental health problems. This research aims to enhance understanding of the intricate relationship between psychiatric technological advancements and practical mental health care in disaster scenarios, especially considering Japan’s unique challenges and developments in this field.
Date: 8 March 2024, 15:15 (Friday, 8th week, Hilary 2024)
Venue: 64 Banbury Road, 64 Banbury Road OX2 6PN
Speaker: Ben Epstein (University of Oxford)
Organising department: School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography
Part of: Anthropology Departmental Seminar Series: Trinity 2024
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Public
Editor: Kate Atherton