Join us for the event “Religion, Spirituality and Mental Health: Perspectives from Research and Practice in India” organised by the Mittal Institute in collaboration with Center for Anthropology and Mental Health Research in Action (CAMHRA), SOAS, University of London.
The event brings together psychiatrists, scholars of religion, and anthropologists to explore the intersections between religion, spirituality, and the field of mental health in India. In a context where diverse religious traditions and spiritual practices profoundly shape experiences of suffering, care, and recovery, the unpanel asks how these worlds intersect with psychiatric categories, treatments, and institutions. Drawing on their own empirical research and extensive clinical experience, speakers will consider both the promise and the limits of integrating religious and spiritually informed care into psychiatric practice. The session will also explore ethical challenges and future directions for culturally grounded mental health work, including implications for training, collaborative care models, and the design of more contextually sensitive mental health services.
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Time: 2:00–4:15 pm IST (Registrations start at 1:30 pm IST) / 9:30–11:45 am GMT / 4:30–6:45 am EST
Venue: Lecture Hall 1, India International Centre (Annex), New Delhi, and online on Zoom
Speakers:
• Swayam Bagaria, Assistant Professor of Hindu Studies, Harvard Divinity School
• Anju Dhawan, Professor and Chief, National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi, India
• Santosh K. Chaturvedi, Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitasalaya, Vrindavan, UP; Former Dean & Senior Professor, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
• B. N. Gangadhar, Professor Emeritus of Integrative Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, India (joining online)
• Nachiket Mor, Visiting Scientist, The Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health; Commissioner, The Lancet Standing Commission on a Citizen-Centered Health System for India (joining online)
• Pratap Sharan, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India
• Bhrigupati Singh, Reader, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, SOAS, University of London
Please note: The event will be followed by high-tea.
