Dr Suman Fernando 1932–2025

Dr Suman Fernando passed away peacefully at his London home on 31 January 2025, at the age of 92. His contributions to psychiatry, transcultural mental health, and anti-racist practice reshaped the field and left a lasting impact on generations of professionals and activists. Suman was a warm, and engaging polymath, who always made time for everyone and was humble, warm, kind and gracious.

Born on 31 March 1932, in Sri Lanka, Dr Fernando pursued his medical education in his home country before moving to the UK, where he continued his studies at the University of Cambridge and then at University College hospital. He spent over two decades as a consultant psychiatrist in the NHS, working primarily at Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield, Middlesex, until his retirement from clinical practice in the mid-1990s. During this time, he became increasingly vocal about the systemic racism embedded in psychiatric institutions and the disproportionate detention and mistreatment of racialised communities.

Beyond his clinical work, Dr Fernando was an influential academic and prolific writer. He wrote or edited 14 books and numerous journal articles. His seminal books, including Mental Health, Race and Culture (1991), Forensic Psychiatry, Race and Culture (1998), and Institutional Racism in Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology (2017), remain foundational texts in the study of multicultural mental health and critical psychiatry.

Dr Fernando's activism extended beyond academia. He was a leading figure in the Transcultural Psychiatry Society, the Campaign for the Abolition of the Schizophrenia Label, and several other grassroots initiatives advocating for racial equity in mental health. He also worked with organisations such as Race on the Agenda and the Afiya Trust, where he consistently challenged the status quo and pushed for systemic change.

His refusal to accept an OBE in 2007 underscored his commitment to principle over prestige. He declined the honour in protest against the UK government's 'deeply flawed' plans to extend compulsory detention powers over distressed individuals, a policy he saw as disproportionately targeting people of colour. His principled stance further cemented his reputation as a fearless critic of institutional injustice.

In later years, Dr Fernando expanded his work internationally, consulting on mental health programs in Sri Lanka and Canada and focusing on trauma in post-disaster communities. He was also deeply involved in the Decolonising Psychology movement, co-founding DecolPsych, an online resource dedicated to dismantling Eurocentric biases in mental health practice.

Tributes

Dr Fernando's passing has been met with an outpouring of tributes from colleagues, students, and activists worldwide:

• "A kind, thoughtful, principled man and a first-rate psychiatrist, academic, and author. He was an expert in many areas and renowned for his work in transcultural psychiatry. A passionate campaigner for fairness and equality. He will be greatly missed."
• "Such an important voice. May he rest in peace."
• "A constant bright light in the struggle for social justice in psychiatry and psychology. He was unflinching in addressing racism wherever he saw it – in his many wonderful books and in his teaching and campaigning. Mostly, I will remember Suman as a kind, wise, and trusted friend, fun, great company, and always gently pushing me to be my best self."
• "Suman Fernando's seminal work, Mental Health in a Multiethnic Society, has influenced the field of intercultural therapy. His contributions have been invaluable in shaping our understanding of how mental health services can better serve diverse communities. His impact will endure in the countless lives he has touched."
• "Rest in Peace, beloved teacher and friend. You have always been a light in the wilderness that is the 'Psy.'"
• "Such a sad loss. He has certainly left a legacy to behold."
• "It was an honour to know him and learn from him in the early stages of my career. Such an inspiration!"
• "Rest in peace, Dr Fernando. 1990 was my first encounter with your warm care towards patients. We salute you, sir!"
• "Suman Fernando embodied an extraordinary combination of quiet intelligence, moral clarity, and tenacious commitment to social justice in psychiatry. Rest in power, Suman."
• "Like so many people around the world, I was deeply saddened to hear of the loss of the activist psychiatrist Suman Fernando. He connected with younger practitioners with a genuine openness and interest in what they had to say. His sustained work on institutionalized racism in mental health and his tireless advocacy for decolonial approaches taught and challenged us to do better."
• Hari Sewell, a longtime friend and colleague, shared a particularly poignant reflection [and see also this longer tribute]: "In 1992, I met Suman for the first time. His words were so powerful that I had imagined him as a towering figure with a booming voice. Instead, I met a gentle, slightly built Sri Lankan man, whose spirit was so gigantic that his mortal flesh could not contain it. Suman was outspoken and unafraid to challenge the establishment, even when it made him persona non grata in certain circles. He refused accolades, rejected an OBE, and called out institutions that sidelined racial justice.
  Over the decades, he wrote over 14 books and numerous articles, centering the voices of racialised people with lived experience. His work with the Wesley Review of the Mental Health Act in 2018 showed that his passion remained undimmed, even into his later years.
  A few years ago, I told Suman that I wanted to give him his flowers while he was still with us. He finally, in December 2024, agreed that an award in his name might not be such a bad idea after all. I will ensure that his wish to keep the DecolPsych website alive and evolving is honoured.
  May my dear friend rest in peace. I can't help but conjure images of the awe and reverence afforded to him by the ancestors as they welcome him."

Legacy

Dr Fernando's contributions to psychiatry and racial justice were immense, and his influence will continue to be felt for generations to come. His writings, teachings, and activism have profoundly shaped the discourse on mental health and social justice. His legacy will live on in the countless professionals he mentored, the students he inspired, and the systemic changes he fought for so tirelessly.

Rest in peace, Dr Suman Fernando. Your light will never be extinguished.

Revisit Suman's insights

In a 2012 interview with his colleague Ted Lo, Dr. Fernando reflected on his multicultural upbringing in Sri Lanka, highlighting how his early exposure to diverse cultures and religions influenced his commitment to mental health and social justice. 

His discussion in The Seasoning the Reasoning Podcast * remains a fitting tribute to his wisdom and dedication. 

Race and Culture in Psychiatry (1988)
This work examines the interplay between race, culture, and psychiatric practices

Mental Health, Race and Culture (1991)
A seminal text analysing how race and culture impact mental health issues

Forensic Psychiatry, Race and Culture (1998)
This book explores the intersections of forensic psychiatry with race and cultural considerations

Mental Health in a Multi-Ethnic Society: A Multidisciplinary Handbook (2004)
A comprehensive guide addressing mental health practices in diverse societies.

Cultural Diversity, Mental Health and Psychiatry: The Struggle Against Racism (2004)
This publication discusses the challenges of cultural diversity in mental health and the fight against systemic racism.

Mental Health Worldwide: Culture, Globalization and Development (2010)
An exploration of global mental health issues in the context of culture and globalization.

Institutional Racism in Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology: Race Matters in Mental Health (2017)
This book critically examines the presence of institutional racism within psychiatric and psychological practices.