Dr. R. Mangala

Schizophrenia Research Foundation India (SCARF) (India)

Dr. R. Mangala is the Assistant Director of Media and Communications at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) Chennai. She has been a consultant psychiatrist at SCARF for 20 years, actively involved in clinical services, including residential facilities, research, and community-based activities. She led the first episode psychosis research program in collaboration with Douglas Hospital, Montreal, Canada, and is also engaged in SCARF’s community mental health programs, including Telepsychiatry services. Dr. Mangala oversees Bhavishya Bhavan, a 70-bed residential unit for women and elderly men. As Assistant Director, she organizes events to promote mental health education and awareness, conducting seminars and workshops to train and sensitize students, general medical practitioners, paramedical professionals, self-help groups, and the general public. Dr. Mangala currently leads the community engagement component of PIECES, a project by Queen Mary University, London, running in India and Pakistan. This NIHR-funded research program explores and tests DIALOG+, a low-cost approach to improving the quality of life for people with psychosis. She uses theatre and the arts, focusing on Theatre of the Oppressed, to raise awareness and reduce stigma and discrimination about psychosis in various communities.