Global Health Seminar Series

Vikram Patel M. Sc., M.R.C.Psych., Ph.D is a Senior Lecturer at the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (LSTMH) as well as Chairperson of the Sangath Society in India. He is a psychiatrist with a special interest in public health aspects of mental health in developing countries. He is the author of Where there is No Psychiatrist: A Mental Health Care Manual, a practical guide to mental health care in developing countries. At present, Dr. Patel is based in Goa, India. Working with local NGOs and governmental health services, he has co-founded two NGOs devoted to mental health service development, research, and advocacy.

At LSTMH, he is developing a study unit for mental health for the MSc program in epidemiology, and new teaching programs for mental health from an international context with colleagues in the Institute of Psychiatry, London and other institutions. He is also closely involved with new initiatives launched by the WHO and agencies in India to build research capacity in mental health in developing countries.

His main research in recent years has focused on the cultural concepts, epidemiology, and treatment of common mental disorders in general health care settings in India. Currently, Dr. Patel is examining the relationship between depression with reproductive health in three areas: gynecological morbidities, adolescent risk behaviors and maternal and child health.