Psychosocialization in Nepal: Notes on Translation from the Frontlines of Global Mental Health

As ‘psychosocial interventions’ continue to gain traction in the field of global mental health, a growing critical literature problematises their vague definition and attendant susceptibility appropriation. In this article, I recast ill-defined quality as interpretive flexibility explore its role processes translation occurring at frontlines care rural Nepal. Drawing from 14 months ethnographic fieldwork among community-based psychosocial counsellors, consider how broad flexible notion problem’ operates ‘boundary object’ transnational health initiatives—that is, it facilitates collaboration service users, clinicians, donors, policymakers shared therapeutic projects without necessarily producing agreement these parties regarding nature suffering they address. suggest that interventions may be gaining popularity not despite but precisely because lack unitary vision problems sets out alleviate. closing, reflect on what distinguishes ‘psychosocialisation’ medicalisation highlight limitations latter paradigm for anthropology health.