Prof. Lund is a professor and researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cape Town and at the Center for Global Mental Health at the University of Kings College London. Prof. Lund studied at Rhodes and the University of Cape Town and was one of the key figures in establishing the Center for Public Mental Health at the University of Cape Town. He has collaborated with others at the WHO to develop policies surrounding mental health, been involved in developing the post-Apartheid mental health norms and standards, written on interventions that break the cycle of poverty and mental illness in the Lancet Series on Global Mental Health, and served as one of the principal investigators in AFFIRM collaborative-associated research.
In this informative and inspiring conversation, we spoke to Prof. Lund about his work, his values, and lay of the land in public mental health research. He talked of promoting the mental health of oneself and of one’s community and the role of social determinants of health in mental health and mental illness. He also gave us some tips and pointers for those interested in pursuing a career in public mental health.
Join André van Zyl and Samantha Lammie as they explore global mental health before, during, and—hopefully—after a global pandemic. This epidemiologist-physician husband-wife intercontinental duo explores the ways researchers address the many layers of mental health issues in vulnerable populations on an international scale and how these researchers attend to their own mental health needs.