Mental Health - reaching mentally distressed men and women in urban Nepal

A social work seminar series co-organized with the Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology and Centre for South Asian Studies, School of Social and Political Science.

Abstract

The presentation will narrate the development of Chhahari Nepal for Mental Health (CNMH, http://www.cnmh.info/), a non-governmental organization, located within broader mental health developments in Nepal. CNMH promotes an innovative person centred approach to build relationships with mentally distressed men and women wondering on the streets, and to reconnect families in urban Nepal. Experiences will draw from: The Street Project, The Welcome Centre, The Carers Group as well as the response to the April 2015 earthquake. It will include a socio-economic analysis to reveal micro level realities of poor men and women stigmatized and excluded by society including mental health services.

Speaker Biography

Dr Gael Robertson is advisor to Chhahari Nepal for Mental Health, an organisation she initiated in 2003 and Honorary Fellow, Centre for South Asian Studies, University of Edinburgh. She has over two decades experience working in Nepal within International development including health, governance, conflict management and human rights. As a mental health advocate she has influenced mental health developments in Nepal including the publication of a book Mental health in Nepal - an NGO’s response. Her academic interest is practitioner learning to value experience and create evidence. Prior to Nepal she worked in social work and was involved in community mental health activities in Edinburgh.

Please contact Sumeet Jain (sumeet.jain@ed.ac.uk) with any enquiries about this event.