About Dr Perera
About
Dr Perera
Dr Mahendra Perera, MBBS, PhD, MD (Psych), MRCPsych, FRANZCP, FAChAM, has over 30 years of experience in psychiatry, including more than 20 years as a Consultant and Specialist Psychiatrist. Dr Perera is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Psychiatrists, a Fellow of the Australasian College of Physicians Chapter of Addiction Medicine, and a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, U.K. He is also a Board Certified Psychiatrist in Sri Lanka. Retired from practice, Dr Perera continues to actively pursue personal and professional interests.
He’s authored numerous papers which have appeared in The British Journal of Psychiatry, British Journal of Clinical Practice, Australia and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Australian Psychology, and others. Most recently, his published and personal writing has explored parenting, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), drug addiction, and NDE (Near Death Experience).
His most recent work, published in 2022, is Drug Addiction in Sri Lanka, which examines the impact of drug addiction on the individual and Sri Lankan society. It is a useful primer for students learning about drug addictions, as well as for teachers and clinicians working in the field.
In 2012, Dr Perera published Making Sense of Near-Death Experiences, an accessible guide to the theory and evidence underlying the phenomenon of NDEs. Bringing together decades of research on the topic of near-death experience, Dr Perera and his colleagues, including well-known writer and researcher in quantum mechanics, Anthony Peake (link to Anthony’s site), provide viewpoints from leading investigators in the field as well as a rigorous evaluation of the studies of near-death experience which have been published to date.
Recognized as a landmark work in the field that brought serious medical attention to the question of near-death experience as a practical concern regarding patient care, Making Sense of Near-Death Experiences was Highly Commended in the category of Psychiatry for the British Medical Association Medical Book Awards 2012.
Dr Perera has always focused on taking the latest advancements in psychiatry and medical science and putting them to work in real life. While contributing numerous papers to the academic field of psychiatry, it’s the practical aspects of helping people that continues to propel his work.
Throughout his career, Dr Perera has served as a mentor and guide to medical students and colleagues pursuing their specialty. In addition to supporting young doctors who are training to be Consultants, he frequently helps them navigate the editorial process of scientific journals and successfully publish their first research papers.
Throughout his career, he has been a caring psychiatrist to patients in his charge, and a wise counsellor to people looking for practical solutions to the problems of life such as drug addiction in teens and helping siblings cope with a family member who has ADHD.