Sarada Menon, head of the Institute of Mental Health, and pioneer in India’s mental health space, died on Sunday at the age of 98, in Chennai. She was born in a Malayali family in Mangaluru, Karnataka. She was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 1992 for social works.
Some facts about Dr Sarada Menon:
- Dr Menon joined the Institute of Mental Health in Kilpauk in 1959 and soon became its first woman Superintendent by 1961.
- She established the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF India) in 1984 along with psychiatrist R Thara.
- She also founded ASHA, a community-based platform supporting the families of those affected by mental illnesses.
