The serendipitous discovery of psychotropic medicines had accelerated the shift in the aims of psychiatry. The practice of ‘mental health’ drifted away from promoting mental health to managing mental illness. Conceptually then, the education, management, research and the role of contemporary psychiatry is largely restricted if not exclusively to controlling symptoms of a diagnosed mental illness. Even though the World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as ‘state of complete physical, mental and social well-being’, clinically the role is restricted to achieving ‘absence of disease or infirmity’. The presumption is that symptom alleviation will induce happiness and sense of fulfilment. Realistically speaking, this does not occur.
The truth is that medical education is geared to enhance performance at the qualifying examination. Formal training institutes do not dwell on distress among those that do not have a diagnosable mental illness. Newer trends recommend helping several mentally ill patients to cope with their symptoms and stressors without resorting to drug therapy.
There is a need to fill up the niche to bridge the gap between formal education and professional practice.
The goals of any such activity needed to be dynamic and revised periodically to suit emerging needs. At this point, the NSVF proposes to undertake two sets of events.
- Education beyond the qualifying examinations
- Promote Positive Mental Health
The N.S. Vahia Foundation (NSVF) aims to propagate a quantum change from quantity to quality of patient care. This may be achieved by acquiring advanced clinical skills and a reorientation of goals. In most instances, formal medical education and sharing of knowledge at formal conferences focus on alleviating human suffering rather than imparting skills that will enhance a psychiatrist’s experience in the subject.
Why
NSVF proposes to reorient the students and clinicians to generate awareness about positive psychosocial factors (PPFs) viz. resilience, optimism and social engagement. In principle, psychiatry is that branch of medicine that deals with diagnosis, management, rehabilitation and prevention of mental illness. NSVF aspires to be the platform to encourage Trainees and Consults to learn to think differently. The foundation is convinced that unrestricted free exposure to global leaders and innovative Indian clinicians and researchers, without any hidden agenda, would contribute to encouraging promising youngsters to express themselves and channelize their talent.
Who Will Benifit
NSVF proposes to reorient the students and clinicians to generate awareness about positive psychosocial factors (PPFs) viz. resilience, optimism and social engagement. In principle, psychiatry is that branch of medicine that deals with diagnosis, management, rehabilitation and prevention of mental illness. NSVF aspires to be the platform to encourage Trainees and Consults to learn to think differently. The foundation is convinced that unrestricted free exposure to global leaders and innovative Indian clinicians and researchers, without any hidden agenda, would contribute to encouraging promising youngsters to express themselves and channelize their talent.