Prof. L. P. Shah

This MSM Annual 2004 is dedicated to the memory of a well respected name in the field of psychiatry, the late Prof. L. P. Shah. His contribution to the making of a number of psychiatrists (including one of us), to the development of Indian Psychiatry, and to the linkage of Indian Psychiatry with World Psychiatry have been, to say the least, substantial. His staunch belief in Psychiatry as a medical discipline was matched by the equally strong belief that Psychiatry could not do away with psychotherapy and deeper understanding of the psyche of an individual. And that Psychiatry also had an important role to play as a social science. Moreover, his whole life was a great testimony to the triumph of the spirit over matter. All those whose lives were touched by this gentle soul can only feel ennobled by the deep impressions that his magnanimous personality left on them. His commitments and beliefs were well matched by his life long companion and life partner, the gentle and most gracious Ms. Hema Shah, herself a contributor of no small magnitude to the Mental Health Movement in India. We carry a homage to this important pillar of Indian Psychiatry written by her. We do deeply appreciate her gesture in writing this dedication and thank her for rising above her personal grief and loss to communicate her thoughts and feelings about this noble soul. The Mens Sana Monographs wish to offer deepest condolences to her on this irreparable loss and hope and pray his soul rests in eternal peace (and prashanti , as he was always prone to point out). We hope and pray that his zest for life and work in the field of Psychiatry, and his fine qualities of head and heart, continue to guide scores of psychiatrists of today, and the future, to respond to the challenges of change in their branch with freshness and spontaneity, but without being overwhelmed by any.

 

Psychiatrists as Psychopharmacologists

It's exciting times in which we live. So much is changing all around, and yet so much needs to remain, and does remain, firmly rooted. Changes sweep the dust of indolence and laxity, besides of course sweeping off the desirable too at times. The decisive paradigm shift towards psychopharmacology and biological approaches to behaviour has alarmed a number of senior practitioners and senior researchers in Psychiatry. That Psychiatrists are turning more psychopharmacologists and lesser psychotherapists is the reality of today. But that is no real cause for alarm. Because as long as they produce results and back up their opinions with evidence, they indeed need to prosper. The apprehension, of course, is that legitimate growth of psychotherapy may get sidelined, or the brighter minds may be averse to taking up psychotherapy because it is no longer the in-thing to do. But such a flux state is inevitable in the advancement of any branch. Ultimately, the psychotherapeutic approach itself will benefit by shedding its smug somnolence, become more evidence and experiment based, offer verifiable population statistics to back up its contentions, and compete with biological approaches with greater methodological rigour. This manthan, or flux, is inevitable, and indeed welcome, if we wish to chart new and exciting frontiers in the field of Psychiatry in particular, and all social sciences in general. The discomfort of today is only a prelude to the comfort of tomorrow. Hopefully. For the seeds of comfort lie in every discomfort, as the seeds of discomfort lie in every comfort.

We are indeed fortunate to live in such exciting times. The Mens Sana Monographs will attempt to unfold some of the dramatic changes as they occur during this period.

Hope you are with us all the way.

Ajai R. Singh

Shakuntala A. Singh

 

(This is the concluding part of the Conceptual Foundations of MSM at  http://mensanamonographs.tripod.com/id8.html .)