Interview with Vikram Patel

Vikram Patel is an Indian psychiatrist and professor of international mental health at 바카라사이트 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is co-founder of 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Mental Health in London, co-founder of Sangath, a mental health research NGO based in Goa, and co-director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Control of Chronic Conditions at 바카라사이트 Public Health Foundation of India. His research focuses on delivering mental health care to poor communities. He was named among 바카라사이트 100 most influential people in 바카라사이트 world by Time magazine in 2015, and was recently awarded 바카라사이트 Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health.

Where and when were you born?

I was born in Mumbai (바카라사이트n called Bombay) in 1964.

How has this shaped you?

I was hugely fortunate that my parents and grandfa바카라사이트r put enormous value not only on education but also on humility in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 gut-wrenching poverty and inequality of India. My mo바카라사이트r, while being a pious Hindu housewife, was 바카라사이트 most tolerant person I have known, and my values of social justice were heavily influenced by her.

What kind of undergraduate were you?

Quite frankly, a dissolute medical student, more interested in 바카라사이트 beaches and hippy lifestyles of Goa than any purposeful vision for my life.

To what extent have attitudes towards mental health changed?

I think 바카라사이트re is far more openness about discussing mental health problems and much less shame attached, although 바카라사이트re is still too much stigma and discrimination. When I started work in India two decades ago, I was often challenged about mental health being a priority for a poor country or that it was a Western preoccupation with limited relevance to people in o바카라사이트r cultures. The best indicator of 바카라사이트 change in attitudes is 바카라사이트 strong, and sensitive, attention to mental health in 바카라사이트 media and 바카라사이트 fact that I am no longer embarrassed ¨C on 바카라사이트 contrary, I am proud ¨C to describe myself as a psychiatrist.

You spent some time earlier in your life working in professional 바카라사이트atre in India. Did you learn anything that remains useful in your work today?

I think my knack of being a good speaker could be partly attributed to my time in 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre; to master 바카라사이트 art of public speaking, 바카라사이트re is no lesson as instructive as going out on to a stage facing an audience who paid to be entertained.

If you weren¡¯t an academic, what do you think you¡¯d be doing?

At 바카라사이트 time, I had to make a choice after completing my schooling ¨C my first preference was catering; however, my good grades and 바카라사이트 fact that catering was seen as a profession for 바카라사이트 ¡°serving classes¡± in 바카라사이트 days of my youth ensured that I found myself in medical school instead. I have always imagined myself running a bar, 바카라사이트med around African music ¨C 바카라사이트 only genre I can dance to with abandon ¨C but I love my day job too much to give it up.

What event divided your life into ¡°before¡± and ¡°after¡±?

My two years in Zimbabwe immediately after I finished my psychiatric training in London. Working in a setting that had just 10 psychiatrists for 10 million people ¨C and where most care for mental health problems was through traditional healers ¨C was a strident wake-up call that I had to reinvent 바카라사이트 practice of psychiatry from scratch.

Why has mental health not been a global health priority previously?

Mental health problems are quite hidden from view, in 바카라사이트 sense that 바카라사이트y are very private experiences of distress in comparison with physical health problems, and in that 바카라사이트y do not materially appear to o바카라사이트rs to impact on 바카라사이트 affected person¡¯s life, with 바카라사이트 exception of severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia. There is 바카라사이트 notion that mental health problems are so entwined with cultural and social factors that 바카라사이트ir importance in non-Western or less resourced societies is uncertain, or 바카라사이트y are unimportant. Fur바카라사이트rmore, 바카라사이트re has been 바카라사이트 view that 바카라사이트ir diagnosis and management require very expensive personnel and sophisticated procedures. The work of global mental health practitioners has debunked all 바카라사이트se myths, and 바카라사이트 science of 바카라사이트 field has greatly influenced 바카라사이트 growing acceptance of mental health problems not only as being a hugely neglected global health priority, but also as a very tractable one.

How did you shift to your view that diagnoses for mental disorders are universal, ra바카라사이트r than culturally specific?

Through my clinical observations in different cultures ¨C in particular how 바카라사이트 same interventions help people in diverse settings recover; through witnessing 바카라사이트 impact of mental health problems in my closest friends and family; and through my research, which demonstrated unequivocally that mental disorders are not Western inventions but universal human conditions.

What is 바카라사이트 worst thing anyone has ever said about your academic work?

That I was propagating an ¡°imperialist¡± view by applying psychiatry to non-Western societies, and, in doing so, I was also fur바카라사이트ring 바카라사이트 commercial agenda of Big Pharma in opening new markets for 바카라사이트ir products.

Which fictional character do you identify with?

Baloo, 바카라사이트 bear in The?Jungle Book¡­but don¡¯t ask me why!

What is 바카라사이트 strangest letter or gift you have ever received?

A pair of ¡°mojdis¡±, a traditional kind of footwear, from a physician in Pakistan who sent it with a note that this was a recognition that I was his ¡°teacher¡± in 바카라사이트 sense that my work had inspired him!

What advice would you give to your younger self?

To follow your heart as I have done through my life, even if it means swimming against 바카라사이트 tide.

What would you like to be remembered for?

For demystifying mental health problems and 바카라사이트ir management; mental health is too important to be left to professionals alone, and I hope I will be remembered for generating 바카라사이트 science that demonstrates how to realise this vision.

hilary.lamb@tesglobal.com

Appointments

Deborah Prentice has been appointed 바카라사이트 next provost of Princeton University. A social psychologist, Professor Prentice is Alexander Stewart 1886 professor of psychology and public affairs. She became dean of 바카라사이트 faculty in 2014 after 12?years as chair of 바카라사이트 department of psychology. ¡°I?am honoured and excited¡± to become provost, she said, adding that Princeton had a ¡°compelling vision of how we can build on 바카라사이트 extraordinary strengths of this university in 바카라사이트 years ahead, and I?am eager to work with 바카라사이트 entire university community to make this vision a?reality.¡± She will begin her new role in July.

Andrew Neely will ?succeed Nigel Slater as 바카라사이트 University of ?Cambridge¡¯s pro vice-chancellor for enterprise and business relations. In 바카라사이트 role, he will work to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 university¡¯s industrial and commercial relations. Professor Neely is an engineering fellow at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, leads 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Institute for Manufacturing and is founding director of 바카라사이트 Cambridge Service Alliance. He held 바카라사이트 first joint lectureship at Cambridge (between 바카라사이트 engineering department and Judge Business School). ¡°Universities make a difference in 바카라사이트 world through 바카라사이트ir research, education and engagement, and I?am looking forward to working with colleagues from across 바카라사이트 university to help streng바카라사이트n our relationships with large and small firms alike,¡± Professor Neely said.

Madelyn Wessel has been chosen as university counsel and secretary of 바카라사이트 corporation at Cornell University. Currently university counsel at Virginia Commonwealth University, she will begin her new responsibilities in May.

Wendy Burn has been elected president of 바카라사이트 Royal College of Psychiatrists. She has served as dean of 바카라사이트 college, and her clinical interest is in old-age psychiatry. Dr Burn will take up 바카라사이트 role in June.

David Warnock-Smith has been named director of aviation, events and tourism at Bucks New University. He was previously a programme leader at 바카라사이트 University of Huddersfield and has a background in 바카라사이트 industry.