Invigorating Discourse on Psychology..

Invigorating Discourse on Psychology..

Workshop on State of Psychology in Nepal - 2012

On February 12, 2012, a workshop on “ Status of Psychology In Nepal – 2012” jointly organized by Martin Chautari and Central Association of Psychology Students ( CAPS) was successfully held. The first session of the workshop presented the three papers among which two were research based. The other session was focused on Psychosocial Counseling in Nepal and the Prospects of Development of Psychology in Nepal. Interestingly the workshop was inclusive in a sense that the whole participants there reflected the age of psychology in Nepal which so far includes the three generations of psychologists. The whole program was very lively with stimulating presentations, forays of queries, opinions and views from every participants.

The program was kicked off with the opening remarks of Devendra Upretty and Pratyoush Onta of Martin Chautari.

Sujen Man on his presentation

Then the first paper was presented by Sujen Man Maharjan , who in fact was the main moderator and co-ordinator of the program. His paper chronicled the historical development of psychology in Nepal which dated from 1947 A.D. His accounts provided that the history of psychology in Nepal wasn’t that encouraging given it’s snail paced development which was purely in the realm of academia only . The application of Psychology as per the facts given by him was very limited and the situation still now hasn’t improved very much. He gave the following reasons for the piecemeal development of Psychology over the years in Nepal.

1. Lack of intellectual climate
2. Lack of research
3. Academia in-breeding
4. Lack of acknowledgement culture
5. Lack of apprenticeship culture
6. Poor professional support
7. Scarcity of resources
8. Lack of legal recognition

The second paper was presented by an American student and a Fulbright scholar, Liana Chase who is now currently working in the research involving Bhutanese Refugees in Jhapa district. Her presentation was on the topic – Local Bhutanese Refugees in transition : A study of Coping and Resilience . Her research is related to ethno psychology.She presented that the suicidal rate in the camp was three times higher than the rate of Nepalese people outside the camp. This alarming rate itself indicates the psychosocial problems faced by the refugees. Her research was focused on the specific psychosocial problems of the refugees and the positive and negative coping strategies adopted by them to tackle the problems. Her research clearly elicited the importance of indigenous psychology and how the theory propounded in another setting can’t be applied thoroughly in another different setting.

The third paper was presented by Sanjesh Shrestha on the topic – Attitude towards Public Littering in Kathmandu. His presentation was based on his ongoing research. He presented the reasons why people litter in the public places. His finding underscored on the cognitive dissonance and the subsequent resonance on the part of educated people who knowingly litter in public places. His research was creatively criticized on the methodology and it’s inadequacy but nonetheless his research was interesting.

Jamuna Maharjan Shrestha sharing her experiences

After an hour lunch session, the second session was due to be started. The second session was initiated by the engrossing account of Jamuna Maharjan Shrestha , who is a clinical supervisor of Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO ) Nepal. Her brief story presented the importance and challenges of psychosocial counseling in Nepal .The second round of the program was the panel discussion on “Prospects of Development of Pscyhology in Nepal” . In the panel , Prof. Dr. Aayan Bahadur Shrestha , the first generation of psychologists; Prof. Dr. Shishir Subba, head of Central Department of Psychology, TU ; Ashok Kumar Jha, who works as a Public Service Commission officer and Mr. Sandesh Dhakal, Lecturer at Central Department of Psychology, TU were the speakers. The discourse explored the past, present and future of psychology in Nepal. It was very encouraging in a sense that the discussion focused on the solutions and the ongoing development in the

Main speakers present at the panel discussion

field mainly ,apart from stipulation of the problems. Everyone consented on intensifying and broadening the realm of psychology in Nepal. Prof Dr. Shishir Subba in his own words said that “ psychology is of two types : one is puzzle solving and the other one is problem solving. On the basis of situational demand of the developing countries like Nepal , we must be primarily focused on the later, problem solving psychology” which he meant to imply for applied psychology. But at the same time he and the other speakers maintained that research is inevitable for the actual growth and development of psychology. The gleaming prospect of psychology is glistening as the situational demands of application of psychology is increasing day by day and it’s importance being rife in every fields. The panel was on the consent that the upcoming periods hold huge prospects of development of psychology in Nepal.

Prof. Dr. Ayan Bahadur Shrestha, Professor Emeritus, Central Department of Psychology, TU speaking during the panel discussion in the workshop “State of Psychology in Nepal- 2012” at Martin Chautari, Thapathali, Kathmandu.

Being a participant in the workshop was indeed a very phenomenal experience for me and it has further elicited the true situation of psychology in Nepal. In conclusion, I can personally say that the discourse has fueled my interest in psychology and made me more determined to excavate the unexplored earth of psychology. I would like to thank Sujen Man Maharjan for inviting me in the workshop and for making the workshop happen so successfully.

Mental Health State In Nepal

MAR 27 –

When I decided to work in the mental health sector three years ago, I was neglected by both my home and community. I was fragile and weak. I used to be routinely abused and discriminated against because of my public history of mental health problems. I couldn’t have imagined that in such a short span of time, my work would be globally received, especially by those involved in the fields of academia, research, journalism, social science, medicine and human rights.

Since those first years, my life has changed. What I suffered in alienation and exclusion for the last two decades has been the most powerful tool I have for advocating for mental health awareness in Nepal. Almost two decades of mental suffering is not a heroic journey. It is a story of suffering and loss. I know every year millions of lives are ruined due to mental illness. But I am an optimist—mental health problems can be prevented, promoted and most importantly, can be talked about and debated publicly. Discourse not only promotes the rational value of mental health, it encourages social healing and recovery for people living with mental health problems. This is one reason why personal testimonies are so important in raising awareness about mental health problems.

Reflecting on my own experience, mental health problems are complex to understand and tough to explain. This is the reason that, for almost two decades, I never dared to talk about my problems with anyone. Over a thousand times, I thought about ending my life. When carrying the constant emotional burden of everyday humiliation, demoralisation, social disconnection, and uncertainty, it is impossible to imagine a healthy life for yourself. That was the case for me. With a lack of social understanding of the nature of mental health problems, many people would rather kill themselves in helplessness than make their problems public. Because of this, mental health problems remain shrouded in mystery and invisible, contrary to the real scale of the problem, leaving people living with mental health problems grossly neglected, abused, and forgotten.

In Nepal, the people suffering from mental health problems are often blamed for their own travails. Whether people are educated or not, the prevalent understanding of the origin of mental health problems remains that they are the result of past karma, astrology, fate and personal weakness. Because of this, people with mental health problems are more likely to be punished than offered help. This common misperception of mental health problems has had direct implications on the nation’s policies and public practices. Policymakers, politicians and human rights workers are guided by these false impressions. The result has been an absence of functioning mental health policies and programmes in the government, which spends less than 0.8 percent of the total healthcare budget on the mental health sector. In this context, people living with mental health problems can’t imagine the provision of dignified services, both socially and medically. They are treated like animals. I shared the same experience.

Already a neglected area of social life, making society heed the needs of those with mental health problems is a tough, daunting task. The voice of people with mental health problems tends to be suppressed. And the way society deals with mental health can be quite strange—sometimes more complex that the mental health problem itself. On the basis of three years of experience engaging the public on mental health issues, I can confidently claim that almost every household in Nepal is affected by mental health problems. But still a socially favourable environment where people can share their problems and seek help is lacking. In protecting and promoting the human rights and dignity of people with mental health problems in Nepal, there is no easy way.

On the basis of my work and experience, the following three areas are the most important for us to address in Nepal: 1) Promoting social values and the profile of mental health. 2) Developing a new mental health policy and related programmes. 3) Encouraging engagement among mental health stakeholders and creating more focus for innovative research. These issues are closely interlinked.

One innovative idea in the field of mental health is a research project called EMPOWER. The project—led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and funded by the Wellcome Trust, UK—brings together five organisations from developing countries (three from South Asia and two from Africa) representing researchers, academics and people with mental health problems. EMPOWER emphasises the fact that there are always two ways to learn. The goal of the project is to showcase the need for researchers, academicians and the community of mental health victims to work together in order to create greater social acceptance of mental health problems and drive research outputs. Surprisingly, the research outputs of EMPOWER are not limited to journal articles. Though we will be documenting the outcomes of the project in a journal in 2012, at the end of this year, our research outputs will come to life in different forms like posters, dramas, musical CDs and street plays. As part of EMPOWER, I am working on a documentary in an attempt to target the global audience.

Committed to promoting mental health in Nepal and internationally, I am equally eager to see the impact of our work both at home and abroad. Public engagement is the key to mainstreaming mental health everywhere. We cannot forget the needs of people on the basis of illness, mental or otherwise. We urgently need to protect the rights and dignity of people with mental health problems. With an aim to promote mental health internationally, the Movement for Global Mental Health has already begun. Membership is free for all. Let’s join the Movement and create a strong social force to eliminate existing disparities in the mental health sector.

By Jagannath Lamichhane

(published in The Kathmandu Post)

This is a summary of the speech Lamichhane deleivered Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, US, on March 27.

The author is an advisor to the Movement for Global Mental Health