Medical Anthropology Meets Psychiatry in Sindh’s Mental Health Collaboration
- Explore opportunities for institutional collaboration to promote a deeper understanding of mental health issues in Sindh through culturally appropriate and multidisciplinary approaches.
Hyderabad
A delegation from the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, led by Dr. Abdul Razaque Channa, Chairman of the Department, and comprising Dr. Rafique Ahmed Wassan and Dr. Mohbat Ali Shah, visited the Sir Cowasjee Jahangir Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Hyderabad. The team was warmly welcomed by Dr. Nisar Ahmed Sohoo, Medical Superintendent of the Institute and Dr. Mushtaq Sargani.
The meeting aimed to explore opportunities for institutional collaboration to promote a deeper understanding of mental health issues in Sindh through culturally appropriate and multidisciplinary approaches.
During the discussion, Dr. Abdul Razaque Channa emphasized that both individuals and institutions suffer when they work in isolation — stating that “isolation affects not only human mental well-being but also the structural and functional effectiveness of institutions.” He underscored that collaboration between anthropology and psychiatry could yield significant progress in understanding and addressing the growing challenges of mental health.
Dr. Nisar Sohoo appreciated the initiative and highlighted the need for joint efforts through interdisciplinary lens to respond effectively to the rising mental health crisis. He noted that mental health is a fundamental human right and called for committed individuals and institutions to serve as “beacons of hope in a time of growing hopelessness.”
Dr. Rafique Wassan proposed utilizing the Cowasjee Institute as a “community research laboratory” where students and researchers could study the social dimensions of health and illness, while Dr. Mohbat Ali Shah emphasized anthropology’s holistic perspective as an invaluable framework for understanding mental and behavioral health.
Dr. Channa shared that several students from the Department have conducted extensive fieldwork-based theses on mental health issues and two students at the Institute, including Ms. Kiran Chandio, who completed her research there and now serves with the Sindh Integrated Emergency Health Services, and Mr. Vikram, currently researching service delivery mechanisms at the same institution.
Dr. Mushtaq Sargani expressed keen interest in inviting anthropology faculty to deliver lectures and conduct training sessions at the Institute, marking the beginning of an active academic partnership. Both sides agreed to organize joint workshops, lectures, and research activities focusing on medical anthropology, public health, psychiatry and psychology and mental health.
The meeting concluded with a mutual understanding to formalize collaboration between the two institutions and to advance a multidisciplinary approach that bridges the academic and practical gap for improving mental health research, education, and community impact.
Together, both institutions reaffirmed their shared vision — to humanize mental health care in Sindh through knowledge, compassion, and collaboration.
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