She founded the Schizophrenia Research Foundation in 1984
Sarada Menon, the longest-serving head of the Institute of Mental Health, died in Chennai on Sunday. She was 98.
Born in Mangaluru, she had her education in Chennai. She was a graduate of the Madras Medical College and did her psychiatry training at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences in Bengaluru.
She is the country’s first woman psychiatrist and was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 1992. She founded the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF India) in 1984 along with psychiatrist R. Thara. “Her death has left a huge void in our lives. I have known her since 1978 and worked with her for 35 years. A great role model and inspiration to all of us. So human at many levels. Until three months ago, she was talking about her passion, the rehabilitation of the mentally ill,” Dr. Thara recalled.