The conference brought together mental health practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, residents, researchers, mental health social workers, advocates and experts from diverse traditions to discuss the implications of religious and spiritual teachings for mental health theory, policy, and practice. In addition to interactive presentations, panel discussion provided opportunities for dialogue on ways to integrate insights from religious and spiritual practices into mental health research, promotion, interventions, and recovery in international and Nepalese context.
The conference was organized by Department of Psychiatry and mental health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry & Global Mental Health Program, McGill University, Canada and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Institute of Clinical medicine & Centre for Global Health, University of Oslo, Norway. The course was directed by Prof. Laurence J. Kirmayer (Mc Gill University), Prof. Saroj Prasad Ojha (Tribhuvan University) and Assoc. Prof. Suraj Thapa (University of Oslo)
The program was inaugurated by Honorable minister of Education, science and Technology Mr. Giri Raj Mani Pokhrel. The international faculties that presented scientific papers were Liana Chase, Santosh Chaturvedi, James Griffith, Jaswant Guzder, Laurence J. Kirmayer, Boon Ooi Lee, Kemal Sayar, Shekhar Sheshadri, Jeffrey Snodgrass, Julia Stenzel, Suraj Thapa, Seinenu Thein-Lemelson, Anne Beatte Tjentland, Nyima Tsering, Henry Vyner, Carol Worthman.
There was a diverse range of presentations that discussed various facets of religion, spirituality across diverse culture and possibilities of assimilating it into evidence-based practice in field of mental health.
Program
|
October 29 (Day1) |
|
|
8:30-09:00 |
Registration |
|
9:00-09:30 |
Inauguration of the Conference |
|
9:30-9: 45 |
Introduction to Conference – Rishav Koirala |
|
9:45-10:15 |
Culture and Spirituality in Global Mental Health: Dynamics of Well-being, Resilience and Recovery – Laurence J. Kirmayer, McGill University |
|
10:15-10:30 |
Break / tea & coffee |
|
10:30- 11:00 |
Overview of Religion and Mental Health in Nepal – Saroj Prasad Ohja, Tribhuvan University |
|
11:00-11:30 |
Mental Health Promotion in Nepal – Suraj Thapa, University of Oslo |
|
11:30-12:00 |
Shamans, Counsellors, and the Church: Shifting Ecologies of Psychosocial Care in Post-Earthquake Nepal – Liana Chase, SOAS, University of London |
|
12:00-12:30 |
Panel Discussion: Advancing culturally informed mental health care in Nepal |
|
12:30- 13:30 |
Lunch break |
|
|
Research Perspectives on Religion and Spirituality |
|
13:30-14:00 |
Tracking Roots of Resilience: Implications of Contemplative Research for the Science of Stress and Trauma – Carol Worthman, Emory University |
|
14:00-14:30 |
Therapeutic Processes of Dang-Ki Healing in Singapore – Boon-Ooi Lee, Nanyang Technological University |
|
14:30-15:00 |
Buddhism and Democracy: Pathways Towards Resilience Among Activists and Former Political Prisoners in Burma-Myanmar – Seinenu Thein, University of California, Berkeley |
|
15:00-15:30 |
Avatar Therapeutics: From Hinduism to Virtual Worlds to Global Mental Health – Jeffrey Snodgrass, Colorado State University |
|
15:30-16:00 |
Break / tea & coffee |
|
16:00-16:30 |
Meditation, Yoga and Mental Health – Santosh Chaturvedi |
|
16:30-17:00 |
An Ethnopsychiatric Study of the Healthy Mind Amongst Tibetan DzogChen Lamas – Henry Vyner |
|
17:00-17:30 |
Poster session |
|
October 30: (Day 2) |
|
|
8:30-09:00 |
Registration |
|
9:00-9:30 |
Spirituality and Mental Health in Christianity - Anne Beate Tjentland |
|
9:30-10:00 |
What Can Sufism Say About Modern Maladies of the soul? — Kemal Sayar, Marmara University |
|
10:00-10:30 |
Spirituality and mental health in Hinduism – Santosh Chaturvedi |
|
10:30- 11:00 |
Break / tea & coffee |
|
11:00-11:30 |
Suffering, Meditation and Its Limits – Julia Stenzel |
|
11:30-12:00 |
Spirituality and mental health in Tibetan psychiatry – Nyima Tsering |
|
12:00-1:00 |
Panel discussion on mental wellbeing with invited experts on Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity |
|
13:00-14:00 |
Lunch |
|
|
Integrating Culture and Spirituality in Clinical Practice |
|
14:00-14:30 |
Hope Modules: Spirituality as a Delivery System for Common Factors of Therapeutic Change – James Griffith, George Washington University |
|
14:30-15:00 |
Spiritual Frameworks of Distress and Their Integration into Treatment of Children and Adolescents – Jaswant Guzder, McGill University |
|
15:00-15:30 |
Children, Spirituality and Mental Health: Concept, context and Methodologies– Shekhar Seshradi, NIMHANS |
|
15:30-16:00 |
Panel Discussion on Clinical Treatment and Prevention Approaches |
|
16:00-16:30 |
Closing ceremony |