New scholarships for MSc in Global Mental Health
King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have been awarded £295,335 by Janssen Pharmaceutica to fund nine scholarships for the MSc in Global Mental Health.
The MSc in Global Mental Health is delivered by the Centre for Global Mental Health, a collaboration between King’s and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Open to honours graduates from around the world, the programme is a one-year MSc course in the study of global mental health research, policy and practice. It is designed to prepare graduates for careers in national mental health policy and planning, in epidemiological and mental health services research, and as mental health advisors and advocates in government ministries, international aid agencies and non-governmental organisations.
Professor Shitij Kapur, Dean and Head of School at King’s Institute of Psychiatry, says: “Our MSc in Global Mental Health is the only one of its kind in the world. The course is truly cross-disciplinary and attracts students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Global mental health is such a strong part of our research and teaching portfolio, it’s very exciting to be able to offer this new opportunity to prospective students.”
The scholarships will be awarded starting in the 2013-14 academic year and will prioritise students from low and middle income countries.
Professor Martin Prince, from King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry and co-director of the Centre for Global Mental Health, says: “We’re delighted to be able to offer nine, fully-funded scholarships for our MSc in Global Mental Health. There is a desperate need for professional training and research to manage the mental health needs of populations in low and middle income countries. A key focus of the MSc, and the work of the Centre, has always been on building local expertise to devise locally appropriate and feasible strategies to reduce the burden on mental health disorders.”
Professor Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical medicine says: “Lack of mental health care is one of the most neglected problems worldwide. Hundreds of millions of people around the world with mental, neurological or substance-use disorders do not receive even the most basic care, even though effective and low-cost treatments exist. One of the aims of the MSc in Global Mental Health is to train mental health leaders to improve access to care in countries around the world. It is the first degree of its kind in the world, and it is being led by the true pioneers in global mental health at the School and at the Institute of Psychiatry.”
The Global Mental Health Scholarship Fund is part of the Janssen Pharmaceutica, NV global ‘Healthy Minds’ programme. The scholarships will cover tuition, room and board, transport, books, daily expenses and international travel to London.
For further information about the course, please see the online prospectus or find out about studying at the Institute of Psychiatry.
For further information about King's, please see our 'King's in Brief' page