Addressing the Mental Health Impacts of the Alt-Right Pipeline in Global Youth

A Medical Anthropology Perspective

Abstract

In recent years, the alternative right (alt-right) has strategically targeted adolescents worldwide for online radicalization and recruitment, with mounting concerns about impacts on mental health. This paper applies a critical medical anthropology perspective to examine the detrimental cognitive and psychological effects of alt-right indoctrination on global youth populations. Analysis of key research reveals that immersion in alt-right ecosystems frequently engenders increased anxiety, anger, susceptibility to conspiracy theories, social isolation, and dysfunctional thinking patterns. Attempts to exit far-right groups may result in further trauma from community severance and “de-radicalization burnout.” These factors elevate risks for mood disorders, addiction issues, and suicide. Integrating concepts from medical anthropology suggests that radicalization constitutes a form of structural violence shaped by dominant cultural forces like white male hegemony. Solutions encompass preventative education, early intervention, trauma-informed rehabilitation programs, efforts to remedy root causes of radicalization like lack of opportunity, and policy initiatives to dismantle oppressive sociocultural systems. With nuanced strategies centered on social justice, critical analysis, empathy, and collective action, the allure of alt-right extremism among adolescents worldwide may be attenuated. This paper illuminates key insights from medical anthropology that can inform culturally-attuned responses to safeguard global youth from alt-right radicalization and promote societal inclusivity.