Through the support of the BU Global Programs, partners at The Banyan/TISS-BALM in Chennai, India and at the BUSM Department of Psychiatry engaged in institutional exchanges to cultivate long-term collaborations and to conduct evidence-based mental health research that informs the development of sustainable health systems-level changes. Based on preliminary data on the sociodemographic profiles of patients with serious mental illnesses, the collaborating institutions aim to further investigate the effects of an individual’s social context, including their support systems, in the long-term improvement of mental health outcomes.

Funder: Boston University Global Programs – BU Foundation-India (BUFI)

Partner: Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS); The Banyan and the Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health (BALM)

Lead Investigators: Drs. Vandana Gopikumar and David C. Henderson