Meet Sri Lankan Researcher- Lasara Kariyawasam
What are you currently working on or worked on before?
For my PhD, I am presently studying the transcultural application of the Compassion Focused Therapy in the hope of reducing Depression, Anxiety and several other psychological presentations in UK and Sri Lankan populations at University of Southampton, UK.
Additionally, I’m working on a research project investigating ‘Gamifying Bioethics: A Case Study of Co-Designing Empirical Tools with Adolescents’ as part of the BeGood Project at the University of Oxford. In my master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, I explored the impact of parenting style and attachment on self-harming among UK and Sri Lankan students and I explored the sociodemographic risk factors of postpartum depression among parents of newborns in Colombo in my BSc(Hons) in Psychology.
What encouraged you to pursue your research topic?
The mental health sector in Sri Lanka has been struggling with poor funding, reliance on tertiary care and lack of trained professionals for decades, while Western psychiatry and treatment methods are publicly funded as the primary treatment approach in the government mental health system.
Western psychology is also taught in mainstream education in the form of a major subject in undergraduate education. On the other hand, addressing and treating mental illness in Sri Lanka has been a constant challenge due to the stigma surrounding mental health which has resulted in reduced help-seeking behaviour. What is even more compelling is the negative attitude and behaviour of mental health professionals towards those who are psychologically unwell, which further restricts people from seeking help.
Therefore, my primary research idea was guided by the interest in exploring the transcultural application of Western psychotherapeutic approaches when implementing these into the collectivistic, interdependent Sri Lankan society with the hope of reducing stigma and increasing the psychological wellbeing among the Sri Lankan general public.
Where do you find your best inspiration for your work?
I am an alumna of the Junior Researcher Programme organised by the University of Cambridge, where a group of international psychology graduates along with experts in the field collaborate in producing impactful research.
Being involved and up to date with their fascinating studies and interventions have inspired me a lot to develop as a person as well as a professional. I find a lot of inspiration from associating people in the field and finding out the significant contributions they continue to make with the hope of making the world a better place.
Can you share with us some of your publications?
You can find my research here:
What’s one of your biggest personal achievements so far?
Out of many, I believe that the work I do in the UK, in trying to gain more attention and support to facilitating psychological aid in Sri Lanka as one of my biggest accomplishments so far. As a Sri Lankan national, it is my hope and desire to contribute to the wellbeing of the Sri Lankan public, by continuing to conduct interventions that would pave the way to exploring impactful ways to enhance the wellbeing of the public.
What lessons would you share with a budding researcher?
Aim of any research should be to explore something to enrich your understanding and knowledge of existing literature. Thus, it is okay if you do not find what you expected to and, every piece of work that you publish will feed your personal growth. Life is all about trial and error and, so is research.
What motivated you to be a researcher?
As a Sri Lankan national as well as an academic in the field of psychology, I have observed the scarcity of impactful research conducted in Sri Lanka especially considering the religious, cultural and societal influence in being detrimental or enhancing one’s wellbeing.
Advanced research studies are pivotal to determine the areas that require a significant change as well as to test the reliability and validity of replicating and/or implementing Western therapeutic methods to the Sri Lankan context. With this in mind, I am motivated to contribute to the duration of my PhD as well as my future career in becoming an influential researcher within the field of clinical psychology.
According to your opinion, what are the changes that the Sri Lankan education system needs to do, in order to meet the requirement of the international industry and academia?
I believe that Sri Lanka as a country needs to step out of the typical framework of position and use modern learning techniques and grant students access to these facilities in becoming up to date with the International education system.
In order to achieve this, I believe that children from a young age should be encouraged to adopt a liberal thinking pattern and not just to solely depend on textbook materials, to question the facts and to be their own researchers while maintaining respect towards all opinions and experiences. This would pave the pathway to a visionary blueprint for change and achieving international academic and industrial standards.
Given the chance, I would absolutely help build the research community and programs in Sri Lanka.
