Abstract
Mental health needs more attention in healthcare, despite the movements for Global Mental Health. The role of culture in mental health is still underappreciated. While both are vital in individual and community health, culture takes a backseat in research, training, and practice of mental and general health. Cultural acceptance is essential for any public health program to succeed. Health is a purchasable commodity. Welfare States with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) strive to meet sustainable development goals (SDGs) but cannot spend enough on healthcare due to deficit budgets. While many NGOs operate in the areas of awareness, disability, psychosocial rehabilitation, and addiction, King Edward Memorial Hospital Research Centre (KEMHRC), along with KEM Hospital, Pune, stand apart due to their distinctive approach combining evidence-based research for the health of women and children, with person-centered care at affordable rates through culturally responsive interventions. KEM Hospital began as a charitable four-bedded maternity home in the preindependence era. Work in the area of cultural psychiatry has expounded the theory behind the culturally competent practices. KEMHRC, Pune, is a Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) compliant NGO affiliated with the largest NGO Hospital providing tertiary as well as primary care in the state of Maharashtra in India. Cutting edge novel research with social and preventive dimensions gives it a purpose as well as national and international visibility. The examples discussed in this chapter are the research in cultural psychiatry, primary prevention of sexual violence, and grappling with the Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA) 2017, which is a leading Human Rights-based legislation.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Prof. Dr. Mitchell G. Weiss, Prof. Dr. Dr. Klaus Beier, and Prof. Dr. Brendan Kelly for their immense support and guidance.
We thank senior clinical psychology students who volunteered to help. Rutvika Pardeshi and Ojas Kulkarni assisted in early literature review and Aarti Subandh, Shachi Kashikar and Pranita Date extended their continuous assistance in literature review, and during preparation of earlier drafts of the manuscripts and editorial process.
Taking this opportunity, we would like to thank the forever helpful KEMHRC administrative staff for the support they provide. And most importantly, we thank our kind patients without whom we would not have been able to correctly portray the consumers’ perspectives.
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Paralikar, V., Tol, V., Garda, L. (2021). Making Culture and Mental Health Count: Contributions of the King Edward Memorial Hospital Research Centre, Pune. In: Okpaku, S.O. (eds) Innovations in Global Mental Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57296-9_148
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