vitalvoices 2025-2026

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Schizophrenia & Culture - Insights from Four Decades of Research

Tuesday, August 26^th from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Commerce Street Building in room C100 and via ZOOM

Speaker: Padmavati Ramachandran, Director at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF)

This talk will critically examine the challenges of delivering equitable mental health care across diverse cultural contexts. It will emphasize the necessity of dismantling cultural barriers to care and advocate for a global mental health perspective that both respects and integrates diverse cultural narratives surrounding mental illness.

Schizophrenia and Culture: Insights from Four Decades of Research at SCARF, India

The schizophrenia conundrum remains a significant management challenge globally, despite remarkable advances in research. However, contemporary perspectives on the course and outcome of this inherently chronic and potentially deteriorating condition have become more optimistic, owing to the emergence of culturally informed, evidence-based interventions across the world.

The Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), India—a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization—has been committed to mental health care, service delivery, and research for over four decades. Through strong national and international collaborations, SCARF has consistently prioritized the translation of research findings into practice, particularly focusing on the cultural dimensions of psychosis.

Over the years, our research has addressed various aspects of schizophrenia, including epidemiology, duration of untreated psychosis, course and outcome, and the lived experiences of patients and families. A notable example is the Madras Longitudinal Study, a 35-year investigation whose findings—when compared to other longitudinal studies—highlight the profound influence of culture on illness trajectories and recovery.

Our body of work has explored schizophrenia through the lenses of gender, marriage, employment, and stigma. Genetic studies have offered insights into underlying biological vulnerabilities, while over 15 years of research on first-episode psychosis populations have informed the development of early intervention protocols at our clinical sites.

In parallel, our investigations into metabolic comorbidities have shed light on the impact of antipsychotic medication and lifestyle factors in this population. These findings have prompted the refinement of psychosocial interventions, both in facility-based and community settings.

Recent initiatives include the use of technology to pilot low-cost, scalable solutions—such as the DIALOG+ app and an online compensatory cognitive remediation program. Further, we have incorporated persons with lived experience into our research processes, demonstrating the feasibility and acceptability of peer support volunteer programs.

This talk will critically examine the challenges of delivering equitable mental health care across diverse cultural contexts. It will emphasize the necessity of dismantling cultural barriers to care and advocate for a global mental health perspective that both respects and integrates diverse cultural narratives surrounding mental illness.