Psychiatry after Kraepelin: Ambition Images Practices 1926-2026

Psychiatry after Kraepelin: Ambition, Images, Practices 1926–2026 brings together an outstanding group of contributors to reflect on the centenary of Emil Kraepelin’s death—one of the most influential figures in shaping psychiatry’s medical identity. Moving both through and beyond Kraepelin’s legacy, the volume is grounded in an understanding of psychiatry as a field that is not only medical, but also deeply social and personal in nature.
This is an Open Access book. Spanning a wide methodological, geographical, and chronological range, the chapters draw on insights from multiple disciplines and the lived experiences of mental health service users. Together, they illuminate both some key scientific and clinical advances in psychiatry and some profound—and at times catastrophic—failings that have marked its history. Embracing a pluralism of perspectives, this timely volume offers critical reflections and constructive insights for addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing mental health care in an increasingly conflicted world.
Psychiatry after Kraepelin is an essential text for current and aspiring psychiatrists; a resource not just for the personal library but also to trigger vital discussions in clinical and educational supervision and journal clubs worldwide. Subodh Dave Dean, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Greater Manchester
Psychiatry after Kraepelin is a thoughtful, clever, and intelligently compiled handbook on the path dependencies that have shaped psychiatry. The editors' modest description of the book as a "montage" does not do justice to its significance. Rather, it is a valuable resource that offers insights into the historical and philosophical contexts that have influenced current perspectives on psychiatry, with both positive and negative effects on humanity, mental health and public health.” Heiner Fangerau Professor and Head of Department of History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf.