In an article for the Psychiatric Times, H. Steven Moffic, MD, an award-winning psychiatrist, a prolific writer and speaker, cited Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey as a reference point for navigating the pandemic era of Covid-19. Moffic received the one-time designation of Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association in 2002. He is an advocate for mental health issues relate to climate instability, burnout, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism for a better world. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric TimesTM.

In the article, Moffic states, “Joseph Campbell was well-known for his concept of the heroic journey. As discussed in his 1949 landmark book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the hero must overcome all sorts of obstacles on their journey. By extension, all of us are on some kind of heroic journey because we all strive to find our purpose in life and to overcome the inevitable obstacles along the way. The obstacles this past year have been many, thanks to the pandemic and other social problems.” Moffic goes on to discuss Greek mythology, and specifically the Ulysses poem, concluding by considering the current cultural struggle in light of Campbell’s ideas about heroes.

To read the entire article, click here.