Dr. Laila Paruk

Laila Paruk is a South African psychiatrist and academic whose work centres on clinical psychiatry within public sector settings, with strong ties to major teaching hospitals in Johannesburg. Her research reflects a commitment to improving mental health care delivery, training, and policy-relevant practice in resource-constrained contexts.

Her scholarship explores substance use and mental illness, including the impact of cannabis decriminalisation on psychiatric inpatients, as well as functional neurological disorders such as psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. She has also examined inpatient management of borderline personality disorder, highlighting service integration challenges and the value of structured therapeutic approaches.

A further focus is vulnerable populations, including pregnant adolescents and LGBT individuals requiring culturally competent psychiatric care. Through clinically grounded, hospital-based studies, her work contributes to service planning, undergraduate training reform, and early intervention strategies in South African mental health systems.