Psychiatry

Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities. The term was first coined by the German physician Johann Christian Reil in 1808 and literally means the medical treatment of the mind (psych-: mind; from ancient Greek psyche: soul; -iatry: medical treatment; from Gk. Iatrikos: medical, iasthai: to heal). A medical doctor specializing in psychiatry is a psychiatrist.

Services Offered :
The department has the capability of addressing the various disorders and some of the key services provided are mentioned. They include the following :

• Addiction psychiatry; focuses on evaluation and treatment of individuals with alcohol drug, or other substance – related disorders, and of individuals with dual diagnosis of substance-related disorders, and of individuals with dual diagnosis of substance-related and other psychiatric disorders.
• Biological psychiatry; an approach to psychiatry that aims to understand mental disorders in terms of the biological function of the nervous system.
• Child and adolescent psychiatry; a branch that specializes in work with children, teenagers, and their families. The department also focuses on the school and college related issues that can have serious adverse impact on the children attending.
• Emergency psychiatry; the clinical application of psychiatry in emergency settings.
• Geriatric psychiatry; a branch of psychiatry dealing with the study, prevention, and treatment of mental disorder in humans with old age.
• Liaison psychiatry; the branch of psychiatry that specializes in the interface between other medical specialties and psychiatry.
• Neuropsychiatry; branch of medicine dealing with mental disorders attributable to diseases of the nervous system.
• Social psychiatry; a branch of psychiatry that focuses on the interpersonal and cultural context of mental disorder and mental wellbeing. This helps in the interpersonal interactions at various settings at work or at home.