Addressing epistemic injustice in the mental healthcare of Indigenous people in Bangladesh: Implications for global mental health
Indigenous peoples across the world are at disproportionate risk of mental health problems. Colonial hegemony, cultural infiltration, language loss, land grabbing, limited access to healthcare services, including mental health, and geographical isolation – all in synergy – contribute to the heighten...
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425125100083/type/journal_article |
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| author | Md. Omar Faruk |
| author_facet | Md. Omar Faruk |
| author_sort | Md. Omar Faruk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Indigenous peoples across the world are at disproportionate risk of mental health problems. Colonial hegemony, cultural infiltration, language loss, land grabbing, limited access to healthcare services, including mental health, and geographical isolation – all in synergy – contribute to the heightened risk of developing mental health problems. Epistemic injustice, apparently unrelated, yet another major determinant – can also contribute to the higher prevalence of mental health problems among Indigenous peoples. Systemic exclusion and marginalization of Indigenous people from the generation, dissemination, and validation of knowledge – the central concept of epistemic injustice – provides an opportunity to reflect on the disproportionate rates of mental health problems. If epistemic injustice is left unaddressed, the impetus for Indigenous peoples to participate in conventional health practices would be greatly impeded. In this article, I present the case of Bangladesh, where the conventional mental healthcare system has historically been ignorant of the inclusion of Indigenous people’s perspectives and lived experiences, eventually perpetuating epistemic injustice. Finally, I provide a framework to address epistemic injustices to reform mental healthcare in Bangladesh that can inform a system equipped with equitability, accessibility, cultural sensitivity, human rights, social justice, and collaborative alliance – key tenets of global mental health. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-37751d2cc42544fdbea045755019a8e2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2054-4251 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-37751d2cc42544fdbea045755019a8e22025-08-20T02:02:58ZengCambridge University PressCambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health2054-42512025-01-011210.1017/gmh.2025.10008Addressing epistemic injustice in the mental healthcare of Indigenous people in Bangladesh: Implications for global mental healthMd. Omar Faruk0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6401-3861Department of Clinical Psychology, https://ror.org/05wv2vq37 University of Dhaka , Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USAIndigenous peoples across the world are at disproportionate risk of mental health problems. Colonial hegemony, cultural infiltration, language loss, land grabbing, limited access to healthcare services, including mental health, and geographical isolation – all in synergy – contribute to the heightened risk of developing mental health problems. Epistemic injustice, apparently unrelated, yet another major determinant – can also contribute to the higher prevalence of mental health problems among Indigenous peoples. Systemic exclusion and marginalization of Indigenous people from the generation, dissemination, and validation of knowledge – the central concept of epistemic injustice – provides an opportunity to reflect on the disproportionate rates of mental health problems. If epistemic injustice is left unaddressed, the impetus for Indigenous peoples to participate in conventional health practices would be greatly impeded. In this article, I present the case of Bangladesh, where the conventional mental healthcare system has historically been ignorant of the inclusion of Indigenous people’s perspectives and lived experiences, eventually perpetuating epistemic injustice. Finally, I provide a framework to address epistemic injustices to reform mental healthcare in Bangladesh that can inform a system equipped with equitability, accessibility, cultural sensitivity, human rights, social justice, and collaborative alliance – key tenets of global mental health.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425125100083/type/journal_articleIndigenousmental illness preventionglobal mental healthdiversitydecolonization |
| spellingShingle | Md. Omar Faruk Addressing epistemic injustice in the mental healthcare of Indigenous people in Bangladesh: Implications for global mental health Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health Indigenous mental illness prevention global mental health diversity decolonization |
| title | Addressing epistemic injustice in the mental healthcare of Indigenous people in Bangladesh: Implications for global mental health |
| title_full | Addressing epistemic injustice in the mental healthcare of Indigenous people in Bangladesh: Implications for global mental health |
| title_fullStr | Addressing epistemic injustice in the mental healthcare of Indigenous people in Bangladesh: Implications for global mental health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Addressing epistemic injustice in the mental healthcare of Indigenous people in Bangladesh: Implications for global mental health |
| title_short | Addressing epistemic injustice in the mental healthcare of Indigenous people in Bangladesh: Implications for global mental health |
| title_sort | addressing epistemic injustice in the mental healthcare of indigenous people in bangladesh implications for global mental health |
| topic | Indigenous mental illness prevention global mental health diversity decolonization |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425125100083/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mdomarfaruk addressingepistemicinjusticeinthementalhealthcareofindigenouspeopleinbangladeshimplicationsforglobalmentalhealth |