The only evidence we have that mental disorders occurred in the Eskimo population prior to Euro-Canadian contact is the reports by the early explorers of the “pibloktoq” syndrome and the reminiscences of the older surviving Eskimos (13). This study shows not only that most of the major mental disorders do exist in contemporary Eskimo settlements but also that their prevalence is high when compared to the rates found in southern communities. Furthermore, etiological implications would appear to revolve around changes in the social organization which are the result of the modernization process now taking place in the Arctic.
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