“Makoki”: A view of electroconvulsive therapy in a Spanish comic of the early 80s

Abstract

Introduction

Analysis from cultural products has been previously reported in psychiatry field. This approach provides an understanding of the social imaginary about psychiatry and its work over a determined period of time.

Objectives

To describe the representations of ECT and insanity in an Spanish underground comic of the early 80s.

Methods

We performed an analysis of complete production (1979–1994) of “Makoki”, comic by Gallardo and Mediavilla, looking for the aspects related with our interest scope (Fig. 1).

Results

The comic analyzed is inscribed in the field of provocation and insolence. This is comprehensible in the historical context of Spanish transition, if we attend to almost forty years of cultural confinement as a result of a dictatorial regime. This cultural product could be seen as “politically incorrect” from the current perspective, given that reproduces some stigmatizing topics regarding mental illness, glorifying its alleged associations with violence and drug use, in addition to a negative view of ECT, represented as a sadistic instrument of punishment, control and subjugation (see Fig. 1).

Conclusions

The material analyzed reproduces the prevailing social stigma in its epoch about psychiatry and mental illness. The analysis of cultural products that reflect and built the speeches about the psychiatry and its action field, can be a useful strategy to understand the views of the general population in a given era.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Fig. 1 Vignettes of “Revuelta en el frenopático” in Gallardo M, Mediavilla J. Todo Makoki. Spain: DeBolsillo; 2014.