Medicine and Health in the Graeco-Roman World

Author(s):  
Philip van der Eijk

This article focuses on a number of developments that have made the place of Graeco-Roman medicine in surveys of the history of medicine. A further development discussed is that medical history now also prominently includes the topic of health, both physical and mental health and related topics such as lifestyle, quality of life, well-being, fitness, and ‘flourishing’. It identifies a number of different mental states or conditions on a scale from an optimum to a pessimum, and thus presents a good example of the scalar, gradualist view of health characteristic of Greek medicine. This article shows philosophy competing with medicine for the role of authoritative guide to health, mental as well as physical, and diagnostic as well as therapeutic. The study of Graeco-Roman medicine has profited significantly from connections and comparisons with the study of the history of medicine, science, and culture from other time frames and other parts of the world.

Author(s):  
Jeff Levin ◽  
Stephen G. Post

In Religion and Medicine, Dr. Jeff Levin, distinguished Baylor University epidemiologist, outlines the longstanding history of multifaceted interconnections between the institutions of religion and medicine. He traces the history of the encounter between these two institutions from antiquity through to the present day, highlighting a myriad of contemporary alliances between the faith-based and medical sectors. Religion and Medicine tells the story of: religious healers and religiously branded hospitals and healthcare institutions; pastoral professionals involved in medical missions, healthcare chaplaincy, and psychological counseling; congregational health promotion and disease prevention programs and global health initiatives; research studies on the impact of religious and spiritual beliefs and practices on physical and mental health, well-being, and healing; programs and centers for medical research and education within major universities and academic institutions; religiously informed bioethics and clinical decision-making; and faith-based health policy initiatives and advocacy for healthcare reform. Religion and Medicine is the first book to cover the full breadth of this subject. It documents religion-medicine alliances across religious traditions, throughout the world, and over the course of history. It summarizes a wide range of material of relevance to historians, medical professionals, pastors and theologians, bioethicists, scientists, public health educators, and policymakers. The product of decades of rigorous and focused research, Dr. Levin has produced the most comprehensive history of these developments and the finest introduction to this emerging field of scholarship.


2018 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Tuohy ◽  
Judith Eannarino

The Exhibition Program, part of the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine, spotlights the collection of the library by creating exhibitions and educational resources that explore the social and cultural history of medicine. Our goal is to stimulate people’s enthusiasm for history and encourage visitors of all ages to learn more about themselves and their communities. We do what we do because we believe that health and well-being are fundamental human rights and are essential to our American way of life. And we believe exhibitions are a logical expression of that commitment.Oftentimes, exhibitions focus on underrepresented subjects or lesser-known types of literature, which helps to inform the library’s collection development activity. Collection development staff take a keen interest in viewing exhibitions, attending related lectures, and performing bibliographic research on topics that are unlikely to be captured in conventional scientific and professional literature. This heightened awareness leads staff to discover niche publishers, significant authors, and unique titles, thereby enriching the collection for future generations.Following the decision to embark on an exhibition about graphic medicine, collections staff more closely investigated this class of literature. This column explores how wider social and cultural influences can change the medical literature and inform and enrich the collections policies of an institution.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika McGivern ◽  
Stephen Shannon ◽  
Gavin Breslin

Purpose This paper aims to conduct the first cross-sectional survey on depression, Resilience, well-being, depression symptoms and concussion levels in equestrian athletes and to assess whether past concussion rates were associated with depression, resilience and well-being. Design/methodology/approach In total, 511 participants from Canada, Republic of Ireland, UK, Australia and USA took part in an international cross-sectional, online survey evaluating concussion history, depression symptoms, resilience and well-being. Findings In total, 27.1% of athletes met clinically relevant symptoms of major depressive disorder. Significant differences were shown in the well-being and resilience scores between countries. Significant relationships were observed between reported history of concussion and both high depression scores and low well-being scores. Practical implications Findings highlight the need for mental health promotion and support in equestrian sport. Social implications Results support previous research suggesting a need for enhanced mental health support for equestrians. There is reason to believe that mental illness could still be present in riders with normal levels of resilience and well-being. Originality/value This study examined an understudied athlete group: equestrian athletes and presents important findings with implications for the physical and mental health of this population.


Health ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Peter Adamson

This introduction to the volume gives an overview of the chapters, setting out a case for integrating the history of philosophy with the history of medicine and sketching some of the key philosophical issues that arise around the concept of health. These include the difficulty of defining “health,” the mind-body relationship, and questions about how philosophy informs medical science and practice. A central idea is that the concept of health operates at two levels, the mental and the physical (or the soul and the body), so that ethical virtue and physical well-being have often been seen as parallel or mutually dependent.


2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Edwards

Historians of medicine are often gloomily familiar with clinicians' incursions into their intellectual arena. We physicians offer hagiographic biographies of obscure nineteenth-century medical figures, triumphalist narratives of medical progress and – the most heinous offence – retrospective diagnosis of ailments afflicting historical characters. But clinicians have also offered some excellent insights to the discipline. As a medical practitioner, I intend to argue that clinical insight can be valuable; not in providing answers – here, clinicians' contemporary interpretations of disease and its treatment can lead us to become unstuck – but in raising questions which might not occur to historians.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esme Fuller-Thomson

Objective 1) To examine the relationship between migraine status and complete mental health (CMH) among a nationally representative sample of Canadians; 2) To identify significant correlates of CMH among those with migraine. Methods Secondary analysis of the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental Health (CCHS-MH) (N=21,108). Bivariate analyses and a series of logistic regression models were performed to identify the association between migraine status and CMH. Significant correlates of CMH were identified in the sample of those with migraine (N=2,186). Results Individuals without a history of migraine had 72% higher odds of being in CMH (OR=1.72; 95% CI=1.57, 1.89) when compared with those with a history of migraine. After accounting for physical health and mental health problems, the relationship between migraine status and CMH was reduced to non-significance, with both groups having an approximately equal likelihood of achieving CMH (OR=1.03; 05% CI=(0.92, 1.15). Among those with migraine, factors that were strongly associated with CMH were a lack of a history of depression, having a confidant, and having an income of $80,000 or more. Conclusion Clinicians and health care providers should also address co-occurring physical and mental health issues to support the overall well-being of migraineurs.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Winsall ◽  
Simone Orlowski ◽  
Gillian Vogl ◽  
Victoria Blake ◽  
Mariesa Nicholas ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND A key challenge in developing online well-being interventions for young people is to ensure that they are based on theory and reflect adolescent concepts of well-being. OBJECTIVE This exploratory qualitative study aimed to understand young people’s concepts of well-being in Australia. METHODS Data were collected via workshops at five sites across rural and metropolitan sites with 37 young people from 15 to 21 years of age, inclusive. Inductive, data-driven coding was then used to analyze transcripts and artifacts (ie, written or image data). RESULTS Young adults’ conceptions of well-being were diverse, personally contextualized, and shaped by ongoing individual experiences related to physical and mental health, along with ecological accounts acknowledging the role of family, community, and social factors. Key emerging themes were (1) positive emotions and enjoyable activities, (2) physical wellness, (3) relationships and social connectedness, (4) autonomy and control, (5) goals and purpose, (6) being engaged and challenged, and (7) self-esteem and confidence. Participants had no difficulty describing actions that led to positive well-being; however, they only considered their own well-being at times of stress. CONCLUSIONS In this study, young people appeared to think mostly about their well-being at times of stress. The challenge for online interventions is to encourage young people to monitor well-being prior to it becoming compromised. A more proactive focus that links the overall concept of well-being to everyday, concrete actions and activities young people engage in, and that encourages the creation of routine good habits, may lead to better outcomes from online well-being interventions.


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