Psychiatry

“A healthy mind signifies a healthy body”

VMCH&RI established the psychiatry department in August 2013 with the mission to enhance mental wellness and provide psychiatric care for the betterment of people with mental illness. We provide care for more than 12000 patients annually. The department is fully manned to handle varied individuals suffering from mental health problems both at the outpatient and inpatient levels.

The psychiatry team has the expertise of managing patients with complex mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and also treating patients presenting with co-morbid medical/surgical conditions who also present with complex psychological/psychiatric conditions. Evaluations are conducted with strict confidentiality and by a multi-disciplinary team. Family is an integral part of the treatment and every attempt is made to engage the family in the comprehensive treatment of the individual with their consent. The renowned psychiatrists of VMCH&RI handle people of various age groups and are specialists in their respective fields.

There is an in-patient facility for both general and private patients, with round the clock nursing and medical and emergency care. The department has 10 bedded female inpatient and 20 bedded male inpatient ward which includes addiction care. Annually around 1000 patients are admitted and treated with state of the art psychiatric care. The treatment is holistic which includes pharmacological, psychological treatments and liaison services for patients along with psychosocial rehabilitation.

Our department has a long-standing and continued commitment to our research, educational and clinical activities. We also impart exceptional psychiatric training to medical students. 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 about psychological evaluation. At the psychiatry department students trained to treat patients with mental health problems. They also have opportunities to liaise with other departments of the hospital in managing psychological issues in medically ill.

Apart from the r5egular college program the extensive participation of VMCH&RI in community activities pose them with great challenges in participating and rendering services in mass health camps in communities, mental health awareness programs and old age home visits along with Psychiatrists, clinical physiologists, counselors, and nurses. The forte of the department is the genius faculty who are committed to transferring mental health education with utmost compassion and motive to serve the community by bringing up the best talents.

Comprehensive Psychiatry Care for Adults :

• General adult psychiatry
• Specialty clinics
• Neuropsychiatric care
• Geriatric psychiatric care
• Suicide prevention care
• Psychosexual Clinic
• Family, marital and relationship counseling services
• De-addiction services
• Memory clinic

Child and Adolescent Psyciatry :

• General child and adolescent psychiatry clinic
• Learning disability clinic (Dyslexia)
• Autism clinic
• ADHD clinic
• Behavioral disorders (Conduct/Oppositional Defiant Disorder)
• School-related mental health problems
• Suicide prevention clinic

Available Modalities of Treatment :

• Pharmacological management
• Somatic treatments (Biofeedback, ECTs, TDCS)
• Psychotherapeutic management

Nambikkai Ward :

A separate addiction care ward “NAMBIKKAI” offers de-addiction at the most affordable price for patients struggling with drug abuse and alcohol dependence. This program was inaugurated in May 2014, by Dr. Radhakrishnan, IAS, Former Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Govt., of Tamil Nadu. This program focuses on comprehensive 2-week inpatient de-addiction. The patient and families undergo treatment together as a single unit and therapy include medications, psychotherapy, yoga and leisure club activities.

Clinical Psychology :

Clinical psychology is an allied field of Psychiatry in VMCH&RI where a qualified person graduated as M.Phil Clinical psychology assists in managing Psychiatric illness.

Psychological assessments :

• Intelligence test
• Developmental/ neurodevelopmental disorder evaluation
• Projective test
• Semi-projective test
• Personality test
• Neuropsychological assessment
• Learning disability assessment

Psychotherapy :

Under the guidance of the Psychiatrist, the Psychologist, along with the group which includes Psychiatric social workers, yoga therapist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, special educators, and others, guides the team in running special clinics like Child guidance clinic, Family intervention clinic, Memory clinic, psychoeducation, and geriatric mental health intervention clinic Psychotherapy is carried out

• Early intervention
• Behavior therapy
• Remedial training
• Family intervention
• Marital therapy
• Cognitive behavior therapy
• Relapse prevention (motivation enhancement therapy)

Outpatient services – working days and time

Monday to Friday – 8.00 am to 3.00 pm

Saturday – 8.00 am to 2.00 pm

Community Activities:

ϖ Community and Outreach program

– Since 2015, the Department of Psychiatry actively participates in mass health camps conducted by Velamma Medical College Hospital at different places like Usilampatti, Thalavaipuram, Goripalayam, Othakkadai, Theppakulam, Kulamangalam, Uranganpatti, Kanaikudi, Keelakarai, Kottaipattinam. So far 2093 patients have been benefited from these programs.

ϖ Psycho-education/ Awareness program Department of Psychiatry has conducted community mental health awareness programs in five places in the last 4 years targeting the population teachers, Drivers, students, and the public. So far the number of people benefited from this program is 1300.

ϖ Geriatric Mental health camps As commemoration with mental health day (10-10-2019) Department of Psychiatry has imitated regular mental health visit to old age home in Madurai on every Friday/Saturday. It started from 18-10-2019 and went successful till 21-12-2019. During this camp Psychiatrists, Clinical psychologists, Counsellors, CRRI students, and nursing interns went to old age homes and addressed their health needs by consulting and providing free medication. Inmates were also provided with refreshments.