In an illuminating article titled “On Vitality: Chemical Possibilities and Politics of Life Force, Ease, and Everyday Life” published in Anthropological Quarterly, Elizabeth Durham, a Junior Fellow at the University of Michigan’s Society of Fellows, delves into the nuanced interplay between psychopharmaceuticals, alcohol, and the concept of vitality within Sommeil Psychiatric Hospital in Yaoundé, Republic of Cameroon.
Drawing from an extensive 24-month fieldwork period from 2016 to 2019, Durham examines contrasting perspectives on the role of psychopharmaceuticals among hospital staff and patients. While clinicians viewed these medications as means to empower patients to handle everyday responsibilities and contribute to the stability of a nation grappling with the Anglophone Crisis, patients often saw them as instruments for achieving a state of ease similar to that provided by alcohol, especially beer, which is culturally perceived as relaxing and therapeutic.
Durham’s insightful research highlights a critical distinction: staff aspired to use psychopharmaceuticals to reinforce patients’ duties and responsibilities, thus aligning with a broader vision of productivity and national integrity. In contrast, patients incorporated these drugs into their pursuit of everyday ease and relaxation, indicating a desire for a softer, more manageable way of life. This divergence points to an alternative notion of vitality, one that embraces the coexistence of life force and relaxation, action and ease.
By contextualizing the use of psychopharmaceuticals and their societal perceptions, Durham’s work opens a dialogue on how different groups navigate the complexities of mental health, medication, and daily life in a politically charged environment. Her article provides valuable ethnographic insights, challenging conventional understandings of vitality and underscoring the importance of viewing health practices through a culturally and politically informed lens.
Read more in the Anthropological Quarterly, Vol. 97, No. 4, 2024.
