How to explore Scott Alexander's work and his 1500+ blog posts? This unaffiliated fan website lets you sort and search through the whole codex. Enjoy!

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May 03, 2023
acx

Replication Attempt: Bisexuality And Long COVID

7 min • 901 words • 377 comments • 132 likes • podcast (6 min)
Scott Alexander replicates and analyzes data showing higher rates of long COVID among bisexuals, suggesting a significant psychosomatic component to the condition. Longer summary
Scott Alexander attempts to replicate a CDC finding that bisexuals were 50% more likely to report long COVID than heterosexuals. Using data from his own ACX survey, he finds that bisexual women were twice as likely, and bisexual men 50% more likely, to report long COVID compared to their heterosexual counterparts. He also notes correlations between long COVID and various mental illnesses. Scott suggests these results indicate that a substantial portion of long COVID cases may be psychosomatic, potentially classifying excess cases as a culture-bound mental illness. He proposes compassionate treatment for unavoidable cases alongside 'unawareness campaigns' to minimize avoidable psychosomatic ones. Shorter summary
Feb 27, 2023
acx

Highlights From The Comments On Geography Of Madness

25 min • 3,373 words • 296 comments • 101 likes • podcast (19 min)
Scott Alexander discusses reader comments on his 'Geography of Madness' review, revising views on culture-bound syndromes and exploring various mental health topics. Longer summary
This post discusses various comments on Scott Alexander's review of 'The Geography of Madness'. It covers topics like culture-bound syndromes, the prevalence of brief psychotic disorder, the history of school shootings, the universality of PTSD, the rise of transgender identities, and the correlation between believing in ghosts and experiencing PMS. Scott revises some of his previous views, becoming more skeptical about many traditional culture-bound syndromes and acknowledging the complexity of cultural influences on mental health conditions. Shorter summary
Feb 22, 2023
acx

Book Review: The Geography Of Madness

63 min • 8,711 words • 833 comments • 367 likes • podcast (53 min)
Scott reviews a book on culture-bound syndromes, expanding the discussion to how all mental illnesses are influenced by culture to varying degrees. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews 'The Geography of Madness' by Frank Bures, which explores culture-bound syndromes like koro (belief in penis theft by witches). The book traces the history and spread of these syndromes across cultures. Scott expands on the idea, discussing how all mental illnesses exist on a spectrum of biological vs. cultural influence. He argues that even conditions considered 'real' in Western psychiatry, like anorexia or PTSD, have significant cultural components. The review touches on complex issues around gender dysphoria and cultural beliefs, concluding that there is no truly 'neutral' culture free from influence on mental health presentations. Shorter summary
Jan 12, 2014
ssc

Aretaeus On Bipolar Disorder

7 min • 941 words • 18 comments
Scott compares ancient and modern descriptions of bipolar disorder, finding significant similarities that suggest the condition is biologically grounded rather than culturally determined. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses the concept of culture-bound syndromes and the risk of American mental health norms being imposed globally. He then compares the ancient description of bipolar disorder by Aretaeus of Cappadocia to modern diagnostic criteria. Scott matches symptoms from current questionnaires (Mood Disorder Questionnaire and Patient Health Questionnaire-9) with Aretaeus' descriptions, finding significant overlap. He concludes that the similarities between ancient and modern descriptions of bipolar disorder suggest it is a biologically grounded condition rather than a culture-bound syndrome. Shorter summary