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St. John's Medical College
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St. John's Allied Health Science
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SJMCH @Brigade Meadows
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Useful Links
Faculty & Staff
Associate Professor in Psychiatric Social Work
Languages
English, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam
- Overview
- Projects
- Publications
- Other Contributions
I am an academician, clinician, and researcher in Psychiatric Social Work with over a decade of experience in mental health education, clinical practice, and research. I currently serve as Associate Professor of Psychiatric Social Work at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru, with prior associations at premier institutions such as NIMHANS and Marian College. My work focuses on psychosocial interventions, substance use disorders, family-based care, and gender-sensitive mental health practices, with contributions spanning teaching, research, publications, and national-level training programmes.
Qualification/ Education
- Ph.D. in Psychiatric Social Work (2017)
National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru
Thesis: Development and evaluation of a psychosocial intervention for women with substance dependence - M.Phil. in Psychiatric Social Work (2010)
NIMHANS, Bengaluru
Dissertation: Perceived stigma, social relationships, and quality of life among transgenders in Bengaluru - Master of Social Work (MSW) – Medical & Psychiatric Social Work (2005)
Marian College, Kuttikkanam, Kerala
Experience
- Associate Professor, Psychiatric Social Work
St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru (2025 – Present) - Assistant Professor, Psychiatric Social Work
St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru (2018 – 2025) - Assistant Professor & Head, Department of Social Work
Marian College Kuttikkanam (Autonomous), Kerala (2021 – 2022) - Psychiatric Social Worker
Department of Psychiatric Social Work & Centre for Addiction Medicine,
NIMHANS, Bengaluru (2011 – 2018)
I have also served as an external examiner, doctoral committee expert, thesis co-guide, and peer reviewer for national institutions and journals.
Areas of interest
- Substance Use Disorders
- Women’s Mental Health
- Family Therapy and Family-Based Interventions
- Psychosocial Rehabilitation
- Gender, Stigma, and Social
- Qualitative Mental Health Research
Field of Expertise
- Psychosocial interventions in addiction and mental health
- Gender-sensitive and women-specific treatment models
- Family therapy and systemic approaches
- Mental health rehabilitation
- Training and capacity building
Extramural portfolios/ Committees
External Expert, Doctoral Committee, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS (ongoing)
Former Advisory Board Member, MSW Curriculum Revision, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore
Former Member, Community Advisory Panel, SCIMITAR-SA Tobacco Cessation Project for Persons with Severe Mental Illness, NIMHANS
Institutional portfolios/ Committees
Member of P.G committee, department of Psychiatry, SJMCH
Membership of professional associations/bodies
Indian Council of Social Welfare (ICSW)
Indian Society of Professional Social Work (ISPSW)
No groups and associations specified.
Occupational therapy in mental health, India: a commentary on under-explored potentials.
Hegde S; Anu KN; Thomas R Psychogenic Urinary Retention: A case report
Thariathu G; Chandran S; Thomas R; Raman V Treatment service related needs and concerns of women with substance use disorders: a qualitative study
Thomas R; Pandian RD; Murthy P Need for Women-Specific Psychosocial Intervention for Women with Substance use disorders – The Indian Scenario
Thomas R; Pandian RD No Others Contributions details available.