The Department of Psychiatry at Kasturba Hospital was established in 1974. It is actively involved in clinical care, teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students research and community work.

Students of MBBS and MSW programs are posted for a short duration as a part of their compulsory rotating internship. They are provided training in clinical skills pertaining to psychological evaluation.

At the department we train undergraduate and postgraduate students and treat patients with mental health problems. We also liaise with other departments of the hospital in managing psychological issues in medically ill.

Core competencies:

• Evidence based management
• Electro convulsive therapy
• Psychological therapies.

Key Features

• The department has been part of Kasturba Hospital for the last 40 years.
• Involved in treating patients with mental health problems and also liaises with other departments of the hospital in managing psychological issues in medically ill.
• involved in training undergraduate and postgraduate students.
• The faculty in the department are experienced and involved in imparting skills and knowledge to the students and dedicated to patient care.
• The curriculum and training in this department is on par with national institutes.
• Faculty are actively involved in research
• The alumni from the department hold teaching and non-teaching posts in various national and international hospitals.

About the Area of Study

Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. These include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities.

Human body and mind are interrelated, and illness of body affect the mind and vice versa. There can be no health without a healthy mind. The combined treatment of psychoactive medication and psychotherapy has become the most common mode of psychiatric treatment in current practice, but current practice also includes widely ranging variety of other modalities. While the focus of psychiatry has changed little over time, the diagnostic and treatment processes have evolved dramatically and continue to do so. Over the years the field of psychiatry has evolved and has become less conceptually isolated from other fields of medicine.