My psychological well-being, depression, and anxiety would have been likely to be
something that an anthropologist would want to focus on studying in my life. An anthropologist
would assess my psychological well-being from a medical standpoint using the anthropological
perspective. They might get knowledge of the many mental health illnesses and the manner in
which they are recognized and medically managed by doing this. Alternatively, anthropologists
might take a look at someone's total healthy living or mental wellness from a societal viewpoint.
They were able to see how patients with mental health conditions their social life had impacted
as a result. Now, an anthropologist might examine mental health using a variety of
methodological stances. The use of ethnographic investigation is one strategy that is possible.
This kind of ethnography involves being involved in someone else's daily activities, studying
them, and collecting field observations. These notes, in combination with questionnaires and
interviews, form the basis of the study material (Hasty, Lewis & Snipes, 2022). Throughout the
course of their study, anthropologists would observe and interact with individuals about their
encounters with mental health issues. Archaeological research is a different methodological
technique that might be used. An anthropologist would have to research historical documents for
this. As a consequence, anthropologists gain greater knowledge about mental well-being and the
ways in which it has historically been handled across a range of cultures and geographical areas.
Resources
Hasty, J., Lewis, D. G., & Snipes, M. M. (2022). Chapter 1: What is anthropology? Introduction
to anthropology. Open Stax.
https://openstax.org/books/introduction-anthropology/pages/1-
introduction
Kohrt, B., Mendenhall, E. & Brown, P. (May 2016). How anthropological theory and methods
can advance global
mental health. The Lancet Psychiatry. Retrieved August 9, 2023, from
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(16)00046-8/fulltext
Nelson, K. (2018). Doing fieldwork: Methods in Cultural Anthropology.
Lumen Learning.
Retrieved August 9, 2023, from
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-
culturalanthropology/chapter/fieldwork/
