Journey to the Centre of the Self: Exploring the Lived Experiences of South Asian Psychiatrists in the UK

This book presents previously untold narratives of South Asian psychiatrists in the UK and provides insight into the significance of cultural identity, migration and marginalisation on their lives and work. The development of cultural psychiatry arose to meet the needs of multiethnic populations. A hitherto overlooked area in the field is the impact of white privilege on psychiatrists from ethnic minority backgrounds. Through the lived experience of South Asian psychiatrists, this pioneering book delves into the effects of structural inequality, the culturally specific needs of South Asian populations, and the impact of migration across generations. Personal accounts impart the importance of recognising the cultural hybridity of ethnic identities and how to work within cultural frameworks. Set in the UK context, findings can be applied more widely to other diaspora settings and are critical in understanding contemporary insights into cultural psychiatry and diverse cultural environments.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements; Part I. Contextual Information: Introduction; 1. Culture and psychiatry; 2. An overview of South Asian migration to the UK; 3. An overview of the interviews; 4. Capturing the lived experience; 5. The primacy of the lived experience as the route to change; Part II. The interviews: Dr Cheema; Dr P. Jauhar; Dr Yousaf; Dr A; Dr Chada; Dr Sivakumar; Dr Baruah; Dr Sami; Dr Davé; Dr S. Jauhar; Dr Mohiuddin; Dr Kaushal; Dr Giri Shankar; Part III. Analysis: 6. Negotiating cultural differences; 7. The therapeutic relationship; 8. Ways forward; Conclusions and recommendations; References.

About the Author :
Rina Arya is Professor of Critical and Cultural Theory at the University of Hull. She has written widely on topics in culture, religion and the arts. Her monograph Francis Bacon: Painting in a Godless World (2012) was longlisted for the W. M. Berger Art History Prize in 2013. She is currently working on an extended project about cultural appropriation. Dinesh Bhugra is Emeritus Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London. He was President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, World Psychiatric Association and British Medical Association. In 2012 he was awarded a CBE for services to psychiatry.

Review :
'When anyone in the UK suffers a major mental illness, who are you going to call? South Asian psychiatrists might stake a surprisingly vigorous claim to be the largest ethnic grouping of psychiatric specialists, responsible for the mental health of the entire nation, via the NHS. Yet they remain a neglected and unfashionable subject, often facing direct racial antagonism from their own patients. This is a scholarly, yet personal, attempt to redress the injustice of their marginalisation. How they have soldiered on despite astonishing obstacles placed in their way by the NHS, their colleagues and the regulator of the medical profession, the General Medical Council, is an important, riveting, yet timely, drama.' Raj Persaud, FRCPsych, Consultant Psychiatrist, Harley Street, London; author of The Mental Vaccine for Covid 19 (Amberley Press) 'An interesting and informative book that explains the complex adjustment issues of international medical graduates in the UK. The personal experiences illustrate the motivation and dedication of the foreign doctors to pursue professional expertise in the NHS and provide examples of their hard work and insight into the significance of cultural identity, migration and marginalisation in their lives and work.' Afzal Javed, Consultant Psychiatrist, Past President World Psychiatric Association (2020-23); Honorary Professor, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, UK; Chairman, Pakistan Psychiatric Research Centre, Fountain House, Lahore, Pakistan