IConS VIII Presents The First Dr.M.Sarada Menon Oration
Prof Max Birchwood, University of Warwick, UK. delivered the First Dr.M.Sarada Menon Oration, on the occasion of the International Conference on Schizophrenia- Eighth Edition.
Padma Bhushan, Dr.M. Sarada Menon is the Founder of the Schizophrenia Research Foundation. One of the very early women psychiatrists in India, she has been instrumental in the bringing visibility to Psychosocial Rehabilitation for persons with Serious Mental illness. Extensively involving families of persons with serious mental illnesses and the local community, she gave a new meaning to the concept of resource mobilization. Starting SCARF with many likeminded individuals 34 years ago, her vision was to advance research in the field of schizophrenia and feed this back into the medical and psychosocial management. Promoting awareness on mental health and illnesses was her approach to involve the local community to re-integrate mentally ill patients into the society. A committed and passionate teacher, she has continued to mould mental health professions over several generations. In her mid nineties, she still updates herself with the advancements in the field of Psychiatry.
As a fitting tribute to the immense contributions of Dr Sarada Menon to the field of mental health, Prof Max Birchwood, University of Warwick, UK, will deliver the First Dr.Sarada Menon Oration.
Over several decades, Prof Max Birchwood has applied and innovated various psychosocial intervention strategies. He pioneered the concept and practice of early intervention in psychosis in the UK and internationally and opened the UK’s first Early Intervention in Psychosis service in 1994, informed by his concept of the ‘critical period’ in psychosis, which he translated into the mental health policy framework for the UK government as part of the NHS ‘National Plan’. Professor Birchwood has undertaken research into the application of CBT to psychosis. His work in acute psychosis (1996; 2000) and in reducing harmful compliance with common hallucinations (2004), have been incorporated into NICE guidelines. He has also undertaken extensive work developing the cognitive model of ‘voices’, particularly the role of appraisals of voices’ power in driving affective dysregulation and compliance with voice commands. He has been a close friend and associate of SCARF for many years and one of the regular participants at ICONS.
Prof Brichwood will deliver a lecture on ‘Psychiatric rehabilitation into the modern age: early intervention in severe and treatment- resistant social disability’
