Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Honors Mental Health Champions

Vikram Patel, Ph.D., F.Med.Sci., a professor of epidemiology and population health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Charles Reynolds, III, M.D., the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Endowed Professor in Geriatric Psychiatry and director the UPMC Aging Institute in October were named co-recipients of the 2016 Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health.

The prize, sponsored by the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF), is awarded to individuals whose contributions have made a profound and lasting impact On advancing the understanding of mental health and improving the lives of people suffering from mental illness.

“Dr. Patel and Dr. Reynolds exemplify afwhat it means to be a humanitarian,” Herbert Pardes, M.D., whom the award is named after, said during the awards ceremony on October 28. Pardes is the president of the BBRF Scientific Council and executive vice chair of the board of trustees at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. “Dr. Patel’s mission is to bring desperately needed psychiatric care to people living in countries where access to these services is limited or non-existent. Dr. Reynolds is a pioneer in geriatric psychiatry whose mission is to help the elderly lead full and productive lives in their later years.

“We honor them both for their outstanding commitment to alleviating the pain and suffering of mental illness.”

During the ceremony, Patel noted the immense challenges of reducing the burden of global mental health, especially among those who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

“I hope our work has shown that you can do a lot with a low budget if you have the right community-based approach,” Patel continued.

During his remarks, Reynolds said it was fitting that he got to share the award with Patel, as the two have combined their public health interests to address mental illness among older adults in India. According to Reynolds, he and Patel first crossed research paths in 2010, when he co-authored an editorial in Lancet describing Patel’s MANAS (for MANashanti Sudhar Shodh, which means “project to promote mental health” in Konkani) study. Patel’s study had shown that a collaborative model of intervention led by lay health counsellors could be used to treat depression and anxiety in primary care centers in India.

“The MANAS trial opens new possibilities for early intervention to reduce the global health and economic burden of common mental disorders,” Reynolds wrote in the editorial.

Reynolds and Patel later collaborated to see if the MANAS model for early intervention could be adapted to prevent depression among older adults in India. The pair recently published some preliminary qualitative data on how this approach might work in Aging and Mental Health.

In addition to the two humanitarian awards and a host of scientific prizes (see sidebar), BBRF honored the late Sen. Edward Kennedy for his unwavering commitment to make mental health parity a reality.

Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy accepted the award on his father’s behalf and thanked all the researchers, philanthropists, and mental health advocates who continue to work to reduce the stigma of mental illness.

“We have made some great progress, but we need more proactive instead of retroactive measures,” Kennedy said. “We need more champions to stand up for people when they can’t stand for themselves.” ■

The MANAS study in Lancet can be accessed here. The accompanying editorial, “Management of Mental Disorders: Lessons from India,” is available here. An abstract of Reynolds and Patel’s new project, “Aging and Well-Being in Goa, India: A Qualitative Study” is posted here.