Department of Psychiatry

1.  Faculty members and their research interest:

  Note :  Replace * with @ in the email IDs.

2.  No. of Post-graduate admission per year:

      M.D. - 1      

3.  Highlights of patient care provided :

Special clinics are run for schizophrenia, affective disorders and neuropsychiatry.  The child guidance clinic in collaboration with the Department of Paediatrics focuses on emotional and behavioural problems of children and adolescents.  Psychiatric services are made available for urban population by integrating them with the general health care provided by the Urban Health Centre at Kuruchikuppam. 

The centre practices multi disciplinary approach in evaluation and management of psychiatric illnesses. The clinical psychologists and psychiatric social workers form part of the multidisciplinary team. Equal importance is given to both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. Behaviour therapy, cognitive therapy, family therapy, bio-feed back techniques and counselling are offered as part of total management. Families with children suffering from chronic illnesses and families with an AIDS affected member are specially targeted for family therapy intervention. Crisis intervention is available round the clock for emergencies like suicidal attempts. 

The department has been designated as a Regional De-addiction Centre in 1991 by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.  This centre has  inpatient facilities for the management of substance abuse disorders.  It offers extension services in rural areas through mobile clinics, orientation training programme for general duty medical officers and anganwadi workers.  An elaborate database is maintained to facilitate research in this area. 

4.  Special equipment available:

Brief Pulse Electro Convulsive Therapy machine, E.E.G. 16 channel and 8 channel machines, Polygraph machine, Biofeedback equipment, Lithium flame photometer.

5.  Major research activities:

v      U.G.C. funded project : “A two-year prospective follow-up study of suicide attempts with a special focus on re-attempts”.

v      W.H.O. funded project on “Epidemiology of Mental Disorders – A Longitudinal Study”.

v      A follow-up study of alcoholic halucinosis in a tertiary care hospital.

v      Predictors of aggression in inpatient psychiatric population.

v      Determinants of depression in drug native schizophrenia.  

6.  Other notable contribution to health sciences:

The de-addiction centre has standardized rating instruments for use in local population. The centre offers alcohol education and relapse prevention programmes on a regular basis. Spouses of alcoholics are targeted for training in the use of effective coping skills.