The Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu: a Guide for Social Psychiatry?

Mental health and illness are issues that are increasingly in relevance for society and impacting the national economy. This development denotes the dire necessity for further research in the field of social psychiatry. The present article examines whether the sociology of Pierre Bourdieu can provide a theoretical foundation for social psychiatry and its multiple research questions. On the one hand, the integration of the theoretical aspects of Bourdieu's sociology can improve the relationship between sociology and social psychiatry. On the other hand, the considerations of Bourdieu can be associated with the findings and concepts of "traditional", medical-biological psychiatry. However, Bourdieu's approach does not jeopardize social psychiatry's critical potential. It is presumed that the theoretical concepts of "habitus" and "capital" in particular are of great significance for future research in social psychiatry.