Steps to an EnvironMental health

This paper introduces "EnvironMentalism," a novel theoretical framework that foregrounds the constitutive role of material environments in shaping mental health and illness. Drawing on principles from Material Engagement Theory and situated cognition, we argue that mental disorders—exemplified by schizophrenia—cannot be fully understood without considering the dynamic and reciprocal interactions between brain, body, and the affordances of the surrounding physical environment. We distinguish between weak and strong versions of EnvironMentalism, advocating for the latter as a more integrative, process-oriented approach to the study of self-disorders. Strong EnvironMentalism challenges internalist models of psychopathology by conceptualizing the self as a relational and ecologically embedded process. Through empirical and theoretical examples, we demonstrate how this perspective can reconfigure our understanding of psychopathological phenomena and open new avenues for research and clinical intervention.