The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science
Br J Psychiatry. 2025 Dec 5:1-4. doi: 10.1192/bjp.2025.10503. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Shame is a pervasive, multidimensional emotion influencing brain, body and social life. While shame can foster accountability, its toxic forms drive stigma, withdrawal and mental illness. We call for systemic, culturally sensitive interventions to transform phatological shame into healing, fostering empathy, accountability and psychological safety in care, education and policy.
