Photography's Underappreciated Contributions to Neuropsychiatry: The Photographs of W. Eugene Smith in Minamata, Japan

J Nerv Ment Dis. 2020 Jul;208(7):574-578. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001168.

Abstract

Photographers and filmmakers have made important contributions to the international mental health community through documentation and social commentary, leveraging the power of visual imagery. To illustrate, this article uses the example of W. Eugene Smith who photographed the catastrophic effects of methylmercury poisoning from industrial pollution in the region around Minamata Bay, Japan. Although many art forms have been comfortably integrated into mainstream psychiatry and neuropsychiatry, photography has been underappreciated and underutilized.

Publication types

  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • History, 20th Century
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Mercury Poisoning, Nervous System / history*
  • Methylmercury Compounds / poisoning
  • Neuropsychiatry / methods*
  • Photography / history*

Substances

  • Methylmercury Compounds