Education
Ph.D. Psychology, Department of Liberal Arts, IIT Hyderabad (2020) (Under the supervision of Dr Shubha Ranganathan)
M.Phil Clinical Psychology, Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur (2013)
BA Public Administration, IGNOU, New Delhi (2011)
M.Sc Applied Psychology with specialisation in Clinical Psychology, Pondicherry University (2010)
Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Psychology, Pondicherry University (2010)
B.Sc Psychology, Prajyothi Nikethan College, Thrissur, Calicut University (2008)
Appointments (Teaching)
Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad (January 2023-)
Assistant Professor, Jindal School of Psychology and Counselling, OP Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Delhi NCR Region (July-December 2022)
Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad (August-December 2021)
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, CHRIST (Deemed-to-be) University, Bengaluru Central Campus (June 2021- June 2022)
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, JAIN (Deemed-to-be) University, Bengaluru (April 2020- February 2021)
Other appointments
Topic coordinator of the research topic 'Care, Health, and Disability in Global South Contexts: Critical Perspectives' in selected Frontiers group of journals (Frontiers in Health Services, Frontiers in Public Health, Frontiers in Psychiatry, and Frontiers in Sociology)
Book reviews editor, Feminism and Psychology
Project Consultant at Rereeti Bengaluru for a project on the inclusion of people with disabilities in a Bengaluru -based museum (June -November 2022)
Clinical Psychologist, Department of Clinical Psychology, Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur (February-June 2014)
Informed by the politics, history and philosophy of psy disciplines, I examine the complexities and ambiguities in the context of increasing metricalisation, technocratisation, globalization and scientifisation of mental health care. I am interested in the narratives and practices of mental health care which are constructed by official discourses of the state, bio-medicine, local communities and service users. I grapple with questions of philosophical interest in mental health care like why mainstream mental health academia/research/ practice primarily engage in “mirroring” the world rather than in “world-making”. My upcoming book titled Mental health and critical community care: Critical perspectives from India to be published by Routledge in 2023 uncovers mental health care practices in India from critical perspectives. I encourage research broadly in the following areas: mental health interventions with minority/marginalised populations, mental health in the context of genders, disabilities, sexualities and relationship diversities, social disadvantage, and intersections in mental health all taking inter and multidisciplinary perspectives.
At IIT Palakkad
Psychology and Life (Spring 2023)
At OP Jindal Global University, Sonipat
PCCU-01-BAP-COPY1013: Cognitive Psychology (BA Hons. Psychology, Fall 2022)
At CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru (Even Semester 2022)
MPS251/281: Psychodiagnostic Lab 1 (including community service) [MSc Clinical Psychology]
PSY651: Psychological Research methods and assessments [BA Psychology, Sociology, English]
MPS 211: Research Proposal [MSc Clinical Psychology]
MPC233: Social and Cultural Foundations of Counselling [MSc Counselling Psychology]
MHW251/MPO251: Clinical and Counselling Skills in Health care [MSc Psycho-oncology/MSc Health and Well-being]
Odd semester 2021
MPN134: Individual and Social development across the lifespan: Theory and Methods [MSc Neuropsychology]
MPS 131: History and Philosophy of Clinical Psychology [MSc Clinical Psychology]
PSY551: Psychological Research Methods and Assessments [BA Psychology, Sociology, English]
MPC352: Psychological Assessment [MSc Counselling Psychology]
At Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad
PSY252: Health Psychology [BA course]
At JAIN (Deemed to be) University, Bengaluru
18MSPY1H02: Biological Processes I [MSc Psychology]
18MSPY2H03: Biological Processes II [MScPsychology]
18MSPY3H41: Psychopathology I [MSc Psychology]
18MSPY3H03: Community Mental Health [MSc Psychology]
18PGD1CO5L: Counselling Skills Training lab [PG Diploma in Sports Psychology & PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology]
Book
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Mental health and critical community care: Critical perspectives from India (to be published by Routledge in 2023)
Journal Publications
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Kottai, S.R. & Rajalakshmi, R . ‘Mental Justice’ for LGBTQIA+ people: A public health ethics perspective on conversion therapy, evolving jurisprudence and state actors of mental health. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics (in press)
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Kottai, S.R.(2022). Social sensitivity of mental health systems. Economic and Political Weekly, 57 (37). https://www.epw.in/journal/2022/37/comment/social-sensitivity-mental-health-systems.html
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Kottai, S.R. (2022). Book review of Hayfield, Nikki, Bisexual and pansexual identities: Exploring and challenging invisibility and invalidation. Routledge, 2020.131 pp.; ISBN978-1-138-61377-5, Feminism and Psychology. doi:10.1177/09593535221121416
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Kottai, S. & Ranganathan, S (2022). A mental health epidemic? Critical questions on the National Mental Health Survey. Economic and Political Weekly, 57 (3), 19-24.
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Kottai. S. (2021). Farmers’ protests, death by suicides and mental health systems in India: Critical questions. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 23 (2), 70-88. DOI: 10.1891/EHPP-2021-0004
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Kottai, S. (2021). Review of Environmental Politics by Elizabeth DeSombre, Environment and Society, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.3167/ares.2021.120114
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Kottai, S. (2021). LGBTQIA+ rights, mental health systems and curative violence in India. 7 (2), Indian Journal of Medical Ethics. DOI:10.20529/IJME.2021.090
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Kottai, S. (2021). Book review of Unruly Figures: Queerness, Sex Work, and the Politics of Sexuality in Kerala. Contemporary South Asia, 29 (1), 117-118. https://doi.org/10.1080/09584935.2021.1884370
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Kottai, S.(2020). On the cusp of ‘modernity’: Ayurveda’s tryst with ‘development’ in Nepal. Book review of Mary Cameron, 2019, Three Fruits: Nepali Ayurvedic Doctors on Health, Nature, and Social Change. Rowman & Littlefield, pp. 264 ISBN 978-1-4985-9423-3 . Anthropology News.
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Kottai, S.(2020). Migrant workers and the politics of mental health. Economic and Political Weekly, 55 (31).
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Kottai, S. & Ranganathan, S. (2020). Task-shifting in community mental health in Kerala: Tensions and ruptures. Medical Anthropology: Cross-cultural studies in health and illness. 39 (6), 538-552. DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2020.1722122
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Kottai, S. & Ranganathan, S. (2019). Fractured narratives of psy disciplines and the LGBTQIA+ rights movement in India: A critical examination. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, 4 (2), 100-110. DOI: 10.20529/IJME.2019.009
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Kottai, S. (2018). How Kerala’s poor tribals are being branded as mentally ill. Economic and Political Weekly Engage, 53 (24).
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Kottai, S. & Ranganathan, S. (2018). Reimagining Schizophrenia: New Voices from the Margins [Book review]. Economic & Political Weekly, LIII (4), 31-34.
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Kottai, S. & Ranganathan, S. (2017). Book review of Eating Drugs: Psychopharmaceutical Pluralism in India. Psychology and Developing Societies, 29(2), 301–305.
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Das, B., S, Ghosh, S., & Kottai, S. (2016). Practice of Family therapy in a heteronormative society of India from a Queer theory perspective, Open Journal of Psychiatry and Allied Sciences. 8 (1), 15-17.
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Kottai, S & Sia, S., K (2013). Inculcating democratic policing in India: A psychological perspective. Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(4), 580-583.
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Kottai, S. (2012). Effectiveness of multiple psychotherapeutic interventions in the treatment of adjustment disorder with prolonged depressive reaction in a teenage girl. Indian Journal of Community Psychology, 1(8), 100-112.
Book chapters
View the video abstract HERE and a short description of the book HERE
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Kottai, S. “ Marginality, alterity and mental health in India: A critical analysis”. In Sheshadri, S (Ed.) “Reaching Out: Towards a relevant response to Mental Health”. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan. (In press)
Announcements
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Doctoral thesis announcement, "Interrogating care, chronicity and expansion of patienthood: An ethnography of community mental health programmes in contemporary India", Disability and Society, 35 (8). https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2020.1787745
International Magazines/ Blogs
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Kottai. S (2020). Legal capacity for persons with psychosocial disabilities: Reclaiming personhood through UNCRPD. #WHATWENEED CAMPAIGN, TCI Asia Pacific.
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Kottai. S (2020). From amelioration to transformation: Hopes for mental health in human rights based systems. #WHATWENEED CAMPAIGN, TCI Asia Pacific.
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Kottai. S (2019). Sitting on the fence, playing to the gallery of psychiatry: Clinical psychology disrupted. Mad In Asia Pacific.
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Kottai, S. & Ranganathan, S. (September 2017). Interrupting caregiving, inviting distress-sharing: Narratives of care from people living on the streets. Café Dissensus. ISSN 2373-177X
National newsletter/ magazines
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Kottai, S. (2020). Tezpur: A city with a mind of its own. Voice of margin.
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Kottai, S. (2015). Mental health policy in India: Unpacking the ‘Right to mental health care’, Medico friend circle bulletin, No. 365-366, 22-24.
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Kottai, S. (2014). New Mental Health Policy: Is it critical? The Indian Economist.
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Kottai, S. (2014). Homesickness and tuberculosis: crossing lines and inventing the psychiatric connection, The Indian Economist.
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'LGBTQIA+ rights movement in India: Examining the crisis of care, values and ethics in psy disciplines and state mental health systems', Global Mental Health Series, McGill University (Upcoming-February 7 2023)
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Panellist at the webinar on 'Methods of Understanding Mental Health in India', Economic and Political Weekly, January 10, 2023
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'Interrogating ‘Care’, ‘Chronicity’ and Expansion of Patienthood : Ethnographic encounters from community mental health programs in India', Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 27 January 2022
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'Excellence in Psychology' delivered at the Department of Psychology, Sahrudaya College of Arts and Sciences, Kodakara, Thrissur, Kerala, 18 May 2021
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'Task-shifting in community mental health in India: Some questions and challenges' in the course titled Community based mental health interventions: Critical perspectives and innovative aproaches organised by the Division of Social and Cultural Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada, 06-09 April 2021
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Panelist at the webinar on 'Managing Mental Health Care During and Post COVID-19 in India, Ramaiah Public Policy Centre, Bangaluru, 4 September, 2020
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"When ‘care’ leads to ‘chronicity’: Exploring the changing contours of mental health ‘care’ of homeless people living on the streets in India" presented at Alternative Law Forum, Bangaluru, 22 November, 2019
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“Community mental health in contemporary India: Interrogating ‘care’, ‘chronicity’ and expansion of patienthood” presented at Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, 20 December, 2019
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"When community care becomes community mental health: The disappearance of local voices in community mental health programmes in Kerala" presented at Institute of Public Health, Bangaluru, 31 January, 2020
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“Mirroring” the world v/s “world-making”: Crisis in clinical psychology in India”, Afro-Asian Psychology Conference, 5-7 May 2022
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"Sex and sexuality in community mental India: The violence in 'care' and 'cure'" in the international workshop organized by the Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad & Centre for Writing and Pedagogy, Krea University, 27-28 April 2022.
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"When there are only 'psychopharmaceuticals' and 'counselling': COVID-19, migrant workers and the politics of mental health" in the Biennial Conference, American Anthropological Association, 6-10 April 2021.
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"Migrant workers’ crisis and the programmatic response of mental health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic: A critical appraisal" in the National Academy of Psychology Annual Conference organised by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Kanpur, 19-21 March 2021.
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""Mentally ill are like rusted knives, they will never be the same again": Changing perspectives about care and chronicity in community mental health services in Kerala" in the National Academy of Psychology Annual Conference organised by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Kanpur, 19-21 March 2021.
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“When ‘care’ leads to ‘chronicity: Exploring the changing contours of care of homeless people living on the streets in Kolkata and Assam as a poster presentation in the seminar on The Performing Body: Conversations on Healing with Medical Humanities, organized by the Department of Liberal Arts, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad. (01-02, 2019).
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“The ‘global’ engulfs the ‘local’: Voices from community mental health organisations in Kerala, India” as a poster presentation in the 39th Annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Society and Culture (SSPC), at the Joan B Croc Institute for Peace and Justice, University of San Diego, California, USA. (19-21 April 2018)
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“Sugarcoating suffering: Excluded voices from community mental health clinics in Kerala” as an oral presentation at the 42nd National Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists organized by the Department of Clinical Psychology, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur. (24-27 February 2016)
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“Inculcating democratic policing in India: A need-based approach” as an oral presentation at International Youth Conference 2012 on Youth for Integral Humanism hosted by G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. (12-13 January 2012)
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“India-Pakistan-Bangladesh relations in a psychological perspective” as a poster presentation at the Indian Science Congress hosted by KIIT University, Bhubaneswar (3- 7 January 2012)
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“Cultural parenting and ego-strength-A theoretical framework on Homosexuality” as a poster presentation at the Indian Science Congress hosted by SRM University, Chennai (3- 7 January 2011)
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“Psychological roots of criminal behaviour: A need-based interventional approach” as an oral presentation at the 37th National Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists organized by Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar (21-23 January 2011)
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“Effectiveness of multiple psychotherapeutic interventions in the treatment of adjustment disorder with prolonged depressive reaction in a teenage girl- A case study” as an oral presentation at the National Seminar on Current trends and challenges in Applied Psychology organized by the Department of Psychology, University of Calicut (14- 15 October 2010)
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Public Health Ethics Writeshop Fellowship awarded by Rural Women’s Social Education Centre, SCARF Chennai (2022)
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Selected for the Dissertation to Book Workshop as part of the Conference on South Asia, University of Wisconsin, Madison (2021)
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Research Appreciation Award, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (2018)
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Cleared National Eligibility Test for Lectureship (Psychology) conducted by the University Grants Commission (2011)
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