A journey of holistic research and training in mental health

Abstract

My early exposure to mental illness in our community, the plight of mentally ill people and their families drove me to seek postgraduate training in psychiatry in India. I realized early on that only research could make an impact on the scale that was needed. My contacts with thoughtful scientists and mentors helped me understand that by training enthusiastic individuals – especially women, multi-focussed research could make a substantial impact and have a multiplier effect. I thus devoted my life not only to research, but research-based training. I outline below our training programs and their outcomes.