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Dr. Debasis Bhattacharya
Dr. Debasis Bhattacharya
	Artist-Psychiatrist
Born	15th June, 1945
Occupation	Psychiatrist
Spouse	Prof. Mahua Bhattacharya (Pathology)
Children	Dr. Rahul

Dr. Debasis Bhattacharya
(Psychiatrist and painter from Kolkata, India.)

Early life and Education

Debasis Bhattacharya was the youngest child Bano Bihari Bhattacharya, who qualified as a doctor and was a Major in the British Army. His mother was Usha was daughter of Bano Behari Mukherjee, who was recognized as a social- reformer, writer and cartoonist alongside being a doctor. He was the elder brother of artist Binode Behari Mukherjee (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benode_Behari_Mukherjee). He finished his schooling from Hindu School (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_School,_Kolkata) Calcutta in 1963. Bhattacharya then qualified as a doctor by graduating from Calcutta Medical College in 1968.

Work as a Psychiatrist

After qualifying as a doctor Bhattacharya worked in primary healthcare in rural West Bengal before returning to Calcutta in 1976. He then specialized in Psychiatry initially obtaining Diploma in Psychological Medicine (DPM, Calcutta University, 1979) and Doctor of Medicine (MD in Psychiatry also from Calcutta University in 1980). Then worked in West Bengal Health Service. He was influenced in his thinking around mental health training under Prof Ajita Chakraborty ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajita_Chakraborty ) a prominent figure in transcultural psychiatry. He published several papers on cultural psychiatry, spirituality, substance misuse and on how to support torture survivors. He was also involved in editorial works for national publications of the Indian Mental Association. Following a brief stint as editor of popular-health journal “Your Health” (IMA Publication https://www.ima-india.org/ima/) between 1990 and 1991, he worked as Associate Editor of Journal of Indian Medical Association (JIMA) between 1993 and 97. Bhattacharya was interested in interfaces of psychiatry, non-pharmacological interventions and cultural influences on mental health. He acquainted himself with Bihar School of Yoga and developed a pranayama based yogic relaxation practice technique which he used clinically and promoted as public health intervention in Bengali initially through CDs and later on Youtube. He qualified as a trainer in self-hypnosis in 1984 when he attended the International Seminar & Training course on hypnosis at Ahmedabad, organized by Indian Association of Clinical & Experimental Hypnosis (https://isceh.com/). He trained as a Master Trainer in the treatment and care of ‘Torture Survivors’ under the guidance of Dr. Inge Genefke ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inge_Genefke ) of Rehabilitation & Research Centre for torture victims 1999. He was one of the early adapter of art therapy in India and promoted art therapy within psychiatry. In 2012, Bhattacharya presented at the Asia Australia Mental Health (http://aamh.edu.au/) at Melbourne University, Australia representing India. In 2015, he delivered the L.P.Verma Oration on Art Therapy at 41st Annual Conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society (CEZIPS) at Shillong (9th October 2015). He was appointed Chairperson and later Advisor to the Creativity and Mental Health Task Force when this was launch by Indian Psychiatric Society (2019-23). He co-authored the Art Therapy (2023) chapter for the book Interfaces of Psychiatry, 1st Edition, Editors: Vinay Kumar and Sandeep Grover (ISBN 9789389188639 ; DOI10.5005/jp/books/18850).

Publications in psychiatry

• Witchcraft beliefs and persecutory Ideas in Bengali Culture. Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry 1985, Vol. 1, No.3 & 4 231-243. • Psychotherapy in General Practice, J.I.N.A. 1992, Vol.90 No.12, 317-18. • A Study of Psychiatric Referrals from Police Hospital Industrial Psychiatry J.1992, Vol.5 No.1, 41-46. • Psychiatric Problems among post retirement Age-group. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 1992, Vol.5, No.2, 37-72. • Birth order and Heroin Dependance, Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry, 1992, Vol.8, No. 3-4, 71- 73. • Psychological crisis and General Practitioners. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 1993 Vol.35, No. 2, 103-106. • An Epidemic of Mixed Dissociative Disorders among women in two Muslim families of rural Bengal. Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry 1993, Vol.9, No.L-4, 38-41. • Illness-Disease-Sickness paradigm, Journal of Indian Medical Association (JIMA) 1994, Vol.92, No.10, 321-323. • General Practitioners and Changing scenario of Drug-Abuse, Journal of Indian Medical Association JIMA, 1995, Vol.93 No.4, 155-156. • Aggression among psychiatric patients, Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry, 1995, Vol.93 No.4, 155- 156. • Mental Health Concept in cross-cultural perspective. Journal of Indian Medical Association (JIMA), 1996, Vol.94, No.1,24-25. • Community mental health and torture survivors Journal of Indian Medical Association (JIMA), 1996, Vol.94, No. 7, 262-266. • Concerning Medical Treatment of smokers. Journal of Indian Medical Association (JIMA) 1997, vol.95 No. 5, 125-26. JIMA. • Current Trends in the Management of Torture Medicine Update, Journal of Indian Psychiatric Association, 1997, Vol1, 884- 887. • Somatization: Awareness among doctors needed. Psychiatry Today, 1997, Vol.1, No.2, 85-87. • Relevance of spiritual and moral aspect of psychotherapy Journal of Indian Psychiatric Association WB SB, June 2005. Vol.0 13, No.2 74-77 • A commentary on contextual validation of psychiatry. Journal of Indian Psychiatric Association WBS. March-May.2008. Vol 14-No 3, 12-16.

Training and work as an artist

He demonstrated early interest in painting and whilst still in school learned the skill of water colour and gouache painting from artist Sailen Mita one of the founder member of Contemporary artists society, West Bengal (Lalitkala affiliated). Binode Behari Mukherjee played the role of mentor by integrating his ways of seeing and thinking. There was a long discourse of letters which was published in a book. While training to be a doctor, with encouragement from renowned sculptor Sarbari Roy Choudhury he enrolled for the "Sketch Club" of Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata for live studies (1965-66).

Subsequently he learned etching and graphic art from acclaimed graphic painter Sri. Haren Das. He was recognized as a contemporary Indian Artist by Lalitkala Academy in 1981.

Selected publications outside medicine

• Published work on Bishnupur Terracotta and contemporary art. • ‘Chitra Charcha’ (Revised Edition, 2023) A book containing 79 letters of Binode Behari Mukhopadhaya and related writings. Pub. Orient Book Co. • Literary publication : ‘Dr. Debashis Bhattcharya-r Golpo Samagra’ - Edited: Dr. Bijit Ghosh, Simika Publishers. • Chabir Bhasa: Chabir Bhavna, Pub. Orient Book Co. • Bikalpa Singhasan, Pub. Orient Book Co.

Honors and Recognition

He was awarded Indian Medical Association’s Dr. R K Menda Community Service Award in 1994 for best research work in promotion of specialty of general practice. Lifetime Achievement Award by Indian Psychiatric Society, West Bengal State branch in 2023 and Karimnagar Oration at Prashanthi Hospital, Hydrabad, India also in 2023.

Other activities on Mental Health awareness

On 7th.Aug’2017. IMA Behala Branch organised Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference of IMA Academy of specialities. Delivered the oration on : ‘DEPRESSION – Let’ s talk : NON DRUG APPROACH
Delivered: G. S Bose memorial oration on 30.01.2018 organized by IAPP & Indian Association of Psychoanalytic society. Tropic – Critical appraisal of psychoanalysis.
Presided the session on Psychoanalysis on 01.12.15. Dr. Sudhir Kakar speaking on ‘Psychoanalysis today’.

References/Notes and references

Bhattacharya, Debasis; Bhattacharya, Rahul (April 2016). "Professor Ajita Chakraborty MB, DPM, FRCP (Ed.) FRCPsych". BJPsych Bulletin. ncbi. p. 109. doi:10.1192/pb.bp.115.051995. Retrieved 25 April 2016. Bhattacharya, Debasis; Bhattacharya, Rahul (December 2015). "In Memoriam – Professor Ajita Chakraborty". Transcultural Psychiatry. Mc Gill. pp. NP7–NP9. doi:10.1177/1363461515612029. Retrieved 17 Nov 2015. "Dr. Debasis Bhattacharya". www.drdebasis.com. Retrieved 25 June 2020.