A bucket in the ocean
Justice transitions and the emancipatory potential of establishing mental health care in Nepal
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4592074 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Susan Thieme (0000-0002-3450-6152, University of Bern), Sony K C, K C Sony (Kathmandu University), Christine Bigler (0009-0001-5991-4582, University of Bern) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 383 |
| Pages | 118397 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Science & Medicine (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0277-9536 • E-ISSN: 1873-5347 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118397 |
| PMID | 40701108 |
| OpenAlex | W4412449712 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 36 |
This study investigates the perceptions of health workers in Nepal's mental health sector regarding their experiences related to emancipation and justice. The research highlights the mental health gap in general, and that specifically faced by children and adolescents in Nepal. Factors contributing to this gap include a shortage of mental health professionals, societal stigma, and limited awareness of mental health challenges. Through 18 semi-structured, in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions conducted between 2022 and 2023, the study captures the insights of various professionals, including psychiatrists, nurses, and representatives of organizations, about their roles in fostering change within Nepal's mental healthcare landscape. The findings illustrate how these individuals navigate their engagement in a still-evolving field, reflecting on their motivations, challenges, and the relational dynamics at play. We apply an emancipatory and justice framework by interlinking the four stages of emancipation with three dimensions of justice, namely the distributive, procedural, and recognitive. The research elucidates the interconnectedness of individual experiences with broader structural forces, emphasizing how health workers strive for equity and recognition of mental health in a context marked by social inequalities. The research recognizes the pioneering work of these practitioners, and contributes to providing a nuanced understanding of the transformative potential of mental health workers and their ongoing struggles for justice within the sector
Criminology · Economic Justice · Mental health · Political science · Psychiatry · Social justice · Sociology · Health and Conflict Studies · Law · Medicine
The Role of Communities in Mental Health Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Systematic review of strategies for improving attendance in health and mental health interventions for children and adolescents in LMICs
Defining Environmental Justice
Interventions to increase help-seeking for mental health care in low- and middle-income countries
Health financing reforms in the quest for universal health coverage
Transforming Nepal’s primary health care delivery system in global health era
National health insurance policy in Nepal
Energy justice
Mental health care in Nepal
Mental Health Gap Action Programme intervention Guide (mhGAP-IG) for Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC)
Just transition principles and criteria for food systems and beyond
Justice in transitions
Best and worst performing health facilities
Women's work
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |