Welcome to the personal website of Suman Fernando, psychiatrist, academic and writer
This
site provides information
on issues around ‘race’ and ‘culture’ in relation to
mental health in western multi-ethnic societies, social and mental health care
in low and middle income (‘third world’) countries, racism in psychiatry, and
the ethnics of mental health practice in a multi-ethnic society.
I hope this site is
useful to
researchers, writers, mental health professionals and the general public.
I was a consultant psychiatrist in the British National Health Service for over twenty years until the mid-1990s. Since then I have been an academic, a writer and an advisor on mental health practice and service provision. I was a member of the Mental Health Act Commission (a government inspectorate) for several years until 1995 where I chaired its National Standing Committee on Race and Culture. I am involved in voluntary organisations (NGOs) providing mental health services for people from minority ethnic ('racialised') groups in the UK and also for people in Sri Lanka. Here is a list of my appointments (click to see).
Also,
I have an interest in legal safeguards for users of mental health services in the UK, especially
around 'race', and
I am involved in lobbying for changes in mental health service provision.
I am
a writer - my main occupation now apart from lecturing / teaching (click here for publications). I have lectured and conducted many
seminars for
mental health professionals, and academics in the fields of social care and mental
health, in UK, Canada and Sri Lanka. Latterly I have been involved in capacity building work in Sri Lanka
(click her for more..) and in
researching
issues around mental health and mental health provision in low income
countries click here for paper on this).
Who am I ?
I am a Hon. Senior Lecturer in Mental Health at European Centre for Migration & Social Care (MASC) at University of Kent. I am also a visiting professor in the Department of Applied Social Science at London Metropolitan University. More...
My books include "Cultural Diversity, Mental Health and Psychiatry: The Struggle Against Racism" (2003) (click)
Mental Health in a Multi-ethnic Society: A Multi-disciplinary Handbook (2009) (click to see)
Click here for a list of my recent publications.

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Research/Capacity Building in Sri Lanka I am consultant to a program in Sri Lanka click here to see more...... MENTAL HEALTH, RACE AND CULTURE (NEW THIRD EDITION) 2010 (click to link)
Click to listen to podcast of interview on this book Another
newish book is a 2009 second edn of Mental
Health in a Multi-Ethnic Society |