The department of psychiatry started functioning at K.M.C Hospital Attavar as a General Hospital Psychiatry Unit in September, 1993. The psychiatric Unit was functioning earlier at Govt. Wenlock hospital and Dr. TMA Pai-Rotary Hospital Bejai. The department has outpatient and inpatient facilitates catering to the needs of a general hospital patient population as well as the teaching for the MBBS, M.Sc Clinical Psychology, BPT, BSLP and B.Sc MRT students. The department is catering community mental health services by outreach camps and taking charge for consultancy services for corporate organizations. Specialty clinics such as Dementia clinic, child guidance clinic, alcohol DE addiction clinic and liaison psychiatry are the initiatives of the department. The department is actively involved in conducting various public awareness programmes in Psychiatry at various places in and around Mangalore as well as print media, television and radio.