Caste in Religion and in Health Inequality

Despite castes negatively impacting a sizable portion of the world’s population, it is not discussed regularly in mental health education, public health education, clinical research, or in mental health treatment. The possible reasons for this omission are discussed. The general characteristics of castes across cultures are discussed, as is what it means to practice caste, and how and why caste identity persists over time and geography. A particular focus is on the Burakumin in Japan and Dalit in India. Caste in the US context and immigrant context are also discussed. Colorism and the oppression of girls and women are discussed as examples of the need to recognize intersectional oppression. The chapter includes a method for gathering important clinical information early in the mental health encounter to reduce the risk of premature termination. While trauma-informed clinical work has some applicability to caste work, several principles that have emerged for the author are also articulated which advocate for a caste-informed clinical research and mental health framework.