Mumbai Campus, Centre for Health and Mental Health, School of Social Work - Mumbai Campus
M.A., Ph.D. (Madras)
ashabanu[at]tiss[dot]ac[dot]in
ashabanu@tiss.ac.in
+91 22 25525465
Dr. Asha Banu Soletti is Professor at the Centre for Health and Mental Health, School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Her academic work is situated at the intersection of Public Health and Mental Health, with a sustained focus on the social determinants of health, structural inequities, and community-based, social justice–oriented approaches to care. She teaches postgraduate courses in Public Health and Mental Health, integrating interdisciplinary scholarship, reflective inquiry, and field-based praxis.
Dr. Soletti served as Dean of Student Affairs at TISS from 2018 to 2024 and as Chairperson of the Centre for Health and Mental Health from 2012 to 2018. As Dean, she strengthened institutional mechanisms to promote student equity, psychosocial well-being, and financial inclusion. Through multiple support mechanisms, she mobilized financial and institutional resources to assist students from vulnerable backgrounds; one notable initiative was the facilitation of meritorious scholarship support through the Cognizant Foundation, which expanded access to higher education for academically deserving students facing financial constraints. Her tenure was marked by sustained engagement with questions of access, diversity, and institutional accountability, fostering a campus culture grounded in dignity, inclusion, and equal opportunity. During her leadership at CHMH, she consolidated academic partnerships with The Banyan, Chennai, and formalized institutional collaboration with INHS Asvini for the M.Phil. programme in Psychiatric Social Work, strengthening clinical-academic linkages.
She was awarded the Linnaeus-Palme Fellowship in 2012 and served as Visiting Faculty at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She has also been a Visiting Professor at the School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University under the International Visiting Scholar Scheme, 2025.
Her research foregrounds the social and structural determinants of health, particularly among marginalized and tribal communities. She has extensive experience in designing and co-constructing community-led, contextually grounded public health interventions in both rural and urban settings. She currently leads Pragati: Integrated Rural Health and Development Project, a longitudinal, community-engaged initiative working with Warli and Katkari tribal communities to address health and nutrition, Education and skills, livelihoods through integrated and participatory models.
Her scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed publications on elder abuse, ageism, and inequities in later life, contributing to gerontology and social policy discourse. She has also been actively involved in disaster response and post-disaster psychosocial interventions through TISS-led initiatives. Dr. Soletti serves on multiple Institutional Review Boards and is engaged in research supervision, training, capacity building, and programme evaluation in public health and mental health systems.
Dr. Soletti’s work reflects a sustained commitment to institution-building, interdisciplinary engagement, and the advancement of community-informed frameworks that bridge scholarship, policy, and practice in health and mental health.
ORCiD id:
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1787-9827
Scopus id:
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=55205111300
Social Determinants of Health and Mental Health
Community Health and Community Mental Health Practice
Community engagement in Public Health
Mental Health Literacy; School Mental Health
Aging and Elder Abuse; Diversity in later life
- Kumar, S., Raghavan, R., Brown, B., Colucci, E., Lahiri, I., Barrett, A., Wilson, M., Wilson, A., Soletti, A.B., Dasan, C. and Svirydzenka, N., 2025. A review of theatre interventions and mental health: inspiration, elicitation and dissemination. Arts & Health, pp.1-22.
- Soletti, A. B. (2024). Visibly Invisible: Unpacking Contemporary Concerns and Challenges of Population Aging in India. In Contemporary Issues in Late Adulthood: Perspectives from India (pp. 1-13). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
- Soletti, A., & Srivastava, Ankur, (2024). Who Is a Global Social Worker? Critical Self-Reflexivity, Power and Privilege, and Cultural Competence. Global Social Work. In Preparing Globally Competent Social Workers for a Diverse and Interconnected World
- Soletti, A.B, Nair, S.S, Yadav, P (Jan, 2024)Cultural Sustainability, Cultural Competency, and Sustainable Development available on: socialdialogue.online ISSN: 2221-352X https://socialdialogue.online/sd28/04_article.html
- Nair, S. S., Soletti, A., & Yadav, P. (2023). Pragati: Sculpting a Social Model of Health in a Resource-Poor Context. The International Journal of Community and Social Development, 25166026231187497.
- Raghavan, R., Brown, B., Hussain, S., Kumar, S., Wilson, A., Svirydzenka, N., ... & Wilson, M. (2023). How do Muslim service users, caregivers, and community members in Malappuram, Kerala, use their faith to address the challenges associated with mental ill health?. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 1-14.
- Philip, J., & Soletti, A. B. (2023). Examining Intergenerational Ties and Roles. Social Aspects of Aging in Indigenous Communities, 419.
- Raghavan, R., Brown, B., Horne, F., Kumar, S., Parameswaran, U., Ali, A. B., ... & Banu, A. (2023). Stigma and mental health problems in an Indian context. Perceptions of people with mental disorders in urban, rural and tribal areas of Kerala. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 69(2), 362-369.
- Iyer, Chetana, and Asha Banu Soletti. "Lived Experiences of Adult Burn Survivors with Post-Burn Contractures." Social Work in Public Health (2021): 1-15.
- Guilamo-Ramos V, Thimm-Kaiser M, Benzekri A, Hidalgo A, Lanier Y, Tlou S, López MD, Soletti AB, Hagan H. (2021). Nurses at the frontline of public health emergency preparedness and response: lessons learned from the HIV/AIDS pandemic and emerging infectious disease outbreaks. The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
- Soletti, A. B., & Laavanya, P. V. (2020). Revered or Abused: Exploring Reasons for Abuse Within Family from the Narratives of Three Elderly Women in Chennai. In Ageing Issues and Responses in India (pp. 221-234). Springer, Singapore.
- Sarode, S., Naik, N. M., & Soletti, A. B. (2020). Assessment of Healthcare Utilisation among Nepali Migrants Living with HIV/AIDS in Mumbai, India. Demography India, 49(1), 69-77.
- Rodrigues,R., Yadav,P., & Soletti. A.B. (2020). Implications of COVID-19 and mental health response in tribal padas, Aghai, Journal of Mental Health Education, Special Edition on Covid 19 and Mental Health.
- Soletti, A. B. (2020). Greying Population and Growing Disparities Challenges and Opportunities for Gerontological Social Work in India. The Indian Journal of Social Work, 81(1), 5-16.
- Bhatia, P., & Soletti, A. B. (2018). Hushed Voices: Views and Experiences of Older Women on Partner Abuse in Later Life. Ageing International, 1-16.
- Khole, C. V., & Soletti, A. (2018). Nutritional Status of Elderly in the Old Age Homes: A Study in Pune City. Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal, 6(1), 234-240.
- Sunil D. Santha, Sowmya Balasubramaniam, Anup Shenai, Asha Banu Soletti, Sharvan Verma, Jaydip Solanki, Rupali Gaikawad (2018). Climate Justice, Capabilities and Sustainable Livelihoods: Insights from an Action Research Project, in L. Dominelli et al., (eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Green Social Work, London: Routledge, p. 267 - 277.
- Sunil D. Santha, Sowmya Balasubramaniam, Asha Banu Soletti (2017) Interfaces in Social Innovation: An Action Research Story on a Tribal Women's Collective, Glocalism: Journal of Culture, Politics and Innovation, (2017)3, Accessible at http://www.glocalismjournal.net/issues/beyond-democracy-innovation-as-politics/articles/interfaces-in-social-innovation-an-action-research-story-on-a-tribal-women-s-collective.kl
- Soletti, A. B., & Bhatia, P. (2018). Creating Conducive Spaces for Elder Abuse Interventions: Perceptions of Health-Care Professionals. In Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly in India (pp. 201-216). Springer, Singapore.
- Soletti, A.B, Nadkarni, V (2017). Resistance to Renaissance-Integrated Rural Health and Development Project, The Indian Journal of Social Work, 78(2), 255-270
- Joseph, J., Soletti, A. B., & Basumatary, K. (2017). Conflict and mental health: the experiences of people living with mental illness and disability amidst ongoing conflict. International Journal of Emergency Management, 13(3), 235-251.
- Rawat S, Patankar P, Soletti AB, Ekstrand M, Rosser BR, & Wilkerson JM (June 5, 2017).The ISHKonnect Study: Internet-based HIV prevention LGBT. Healthcare Executive (India).
- Ekstrand, M. L., Rawat, S., Patankar, P., Heylen, E., Banu, A., Rosser, B. S., & Wilkerson, J. M. (2017). Sexual identity and behavior in an online sample of Indian men who have sex with men. AIDS care, 29(7), 905-913.
- Soletti, Asha Banu (2017). Leaving no one behind: Building an agenda for older persons in India.ICSW Global Cooperation Newsletter, 2017, 2-6.
- Burnette, D., Soletti, A.B & Sridhar, R (2015) . Stress, Social Support and SWB of older adults in Mumbai, The Indian Journal of Social Work, 76(3), 351-372.
- Soletti, A.B. (2012). Adding Life to Days: Counseling as a Tool to Promote Quality of Life of the Greying Population. In A. Ponnuswamy and Y. Vijila (Eds.), Professional Counseling with Social Work Implications, Coimbatore: Zageer Huussain Publications.
- Soletti, A.B. & Nadkarni, V. (2012) Children and HIV: A resource manual for trainers. A publication of: Saksham – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Round -7, Counselling Component
- Guilamo-Ramos, V., Banu Soletti, A., Burnette, D., Sharma, S., & Leavitt, S., McCarthy, K. (2012). Parent-adolescent communication about sex in rural India: US-India collaboration to prevent adolescent HIV. Qualitative Health Research, 22(6), 788-800.
- Honawar,M., Soletti, A.B (2011) “Problems of Women Beggars and emerging gender concerns “ , in Beggary Prevention: Realities, Strategies and Challenges, (New Delhi: National Institute of Social defence): 163-169
- Soletti, A.B., Guilamo-Ramos, V., Burnette, D. Sharma, S. & Bouris, A. (2009). India-U.S. collaboration to prevent adolescent HIV-infection: The feasibility of a family-based HIV-prevention intervention for rural Indian youth Journal of the International AIDS Society, 19 (10), 35 doi:10.1186/1758-2652-12-35
- Soletti, A.B & Lukose, K. (2009). Constructing pathways to sexual and reproductive health, International Research Journal of Social Sciences, Puducherry, vol.2, No.1 pp 205-216.
- Nadkarni, V. & Soletti A.B. (2006). Problems and Needs of Children Affected By HIV/AIDS: Need for Integration in National Policies and Programmes, The Journal of Family Welfare. Mrs. Avabai Wadia 1913-2005 Commemorative Issue. Vol. 52. Special issue 2006.
- Nadkarni, V. & Soletti A.B.,( 2006) “A situational analysis of Child headed households and Community foster care in Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh”, India HIV/AIDS Alliance and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (http://www.hivpolicy.org/Library/HPP000982.pdf)
Book
- . Soletti, A. B.(2024). Contemporary Issues in Late Adulthood. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-97-4449-7
Current Projects: Field Action
Project Director: Pragati-Integrated Rural Health and Development project (IRHDP), Aghai, Shahpur Taluk (2009 Onwards)
https://www.facebook.com/IRHDP
https://tiss.edu/view/11/projects/integrated-rural-health-and-development-project/?fbclid=IwAR0MtWfAF704GoH81wy_ySF3jZ7JBmEje5X-Jbsx-iXXeeXY3QAQWJ0_GNQ
COVID-19 response
Completed Projects:
Investigating new strategies for active ageing among diasporas: Working with Tamil communities to tell their stories and investigating Tamil Wikipedia as a platform for cultural resilience, active ageing and the intergenerational transfer of knowledge., Avieson B, Banu Soletti A, McCreery C, Raju S, Spencer M, Kandasamy N, Office of Global Engagement/Partnership Collaboration Awards, 2022
Mental Health Literacy in Urban and Rural Communities in Kerala, India: An Interdisciplinary Approach Using Applied Theatre Methodology (MeHeLP India) (International Interdisciplinary Project with Prof. Raghu Raghavan, (De Montfort University, DMU) and others, UK and Dr.Sivakami Muthusamy, TISS
Funding: ESRC-AHRC-GCRF, UK.
Involvement in the project: Co-Investigator.
Duration of the project: From September 2018 to December 2021
Visit https://www.mehelp.in/
Experiences of caregivers in a home based palliative model: A qualitative study , funded by PALCARE - THE JIMMY S BILIMORIA FOUNDATION
E-Content Project-Coure Coordinator: Social Work (Mental Health), University Grants Commission and Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India, 2017
Co-Investigator: Evaluation study of "Changing Lives throught sports: Street 20 program" funded by Barclays, 2015
Principal Investigator: Internet-based HIV prevention for Indian MSM in association with HUMSAFAR sponsored by NIH/ICMR, 2012-2014
Dementia related Stigma in Urban India: Perspectives of Patients, Caregivers and Health Care Providers funded by Morning Side-Columbia University School of Social Work, 2012
Training of trainers module on “Community Mental Health and Development” for senior level development workers and district level professionals working in the field in collaboration with the Centre for Disability Studies and Action and an NGO – Basic Needs India, Bangalore, 2011, sponsored by DRS-UGC, MPSW, 2011
Principal Investigator: Reducing Adolescent HIV-Infection in Maharashtra, India: A Family-Based Approach sponsored by NIH/ICMR, 2008-2011
Factors influencing the Mental Health of the elderly, sponsored by DRS-UGC, MPSW, 2011
A situational analysis and Needs Assessment of Child-Headed Households and Community Foster Care in the context of HIV/AIDS, sponsored by India AIDS Alliance, 2004-2006
Social Work:
- Social Work Practice with Individuals
- Human Growth and Behavior
Public Health and Mental Health:
- Health and Development
- Introduction to Health and Mental Health
- Community Mental Health
- Seminar on emerging Mental Health issues
- Issues of working with special groups ( in Developmental and Therapeutic counselling Concentration)
- Indigenous Practices in Mental Health (Field based Course)
- Rural realities, Health and Mental Health
- Dance movement therapy and Mental Health
- Mental Health, Marginalisation and Human Rights
- Health Planning and Management
Gerontology:
- Older Adults with Special Needs
- Family Dynamics: Skills and Interventions
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