The specialty of Psychiatry had its modest beginning in 1956 as a unit consisting of one Reader and one Lecturer in Neuropsychiatry in the Department of Medicine. In 1965 a Post of Professor of Psychiatry was created and a lecturer, a clinical psychologist, a statistician and two social workers were added to the staff. The initial 10 inpatient beds were doubled and outpatient services, previously available only twice a week, were increased to daily OPDs. The 1st Professor of Psychiatry, Late Dr. B. B. Sethi, was appointed in 1966. Three years later another Lecturer was appointed and Post-Graduate Training for the Award of M. D. in Psychiatry commenced with two students in 1969.
1st March, 1971 saw a new beginning when a statutory independent Department of Psychiatry came into existence in K. G. Medical College, Lucknow. In August, 1971 the Psychiatry Department shifted to its present premises in the former Lady Kinniard Hospital. The State Government allocated 50 beds for the department. Another milestone was achieved in 1976 with the inception of drug De-addiction and Mental Retardation units. This coincided with the inauguration of newly constructed building to house the department. The Foundation Day is celebrated every year. An academic program, consisting of workshops and a foundation day oration by a person of eminence in the field of mental health, followed by an alumni meet and get-together are organized on every year.
Presently, there are specialized units for child psychiatry, drug de-addiction, psycho-sexual & marital problems, stress management and anxiety disorders, consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, women mental health, neuropsychiatry and community psychiatry. Treatment facilities include drug therapy, electroconvulsive therapy (Modified ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), biofeedback, psychotherapy, behaviour therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy and music therapy. The department has its own Bio-chemical Lab., E.E.G Lab., Psychological Lab., facilities for Bio-feedback and Neuro-feedback therapy.
The department has gained prominence in various scientific fields related to mental health and has been a major research centre for various WHO and ICMR projects. Several other organizations have been associated with the department in research -to name a few, State Medical Research Council, U.P., State Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, U.P., State Council of Science and Technology, U.P. and various National and Multinational Pharmaceutical companies. The department has also been actively involved in organizing a large number of national and state level conferences and symposia. More than 750 research papers have been contributed by the staff members of the department in various national and international journals of psychiatry and clinical psychology.
In 48 years of existence, the Department of Psychiatry has produced more than 230 Psychiatrists by awarding them M.D. degree. Postgraduates of this department hold high positions overseas including senior faculty and research posts in USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore and Gulf countries. Presently many of them occupy senior faculty positions in different regions of India.
The department has a total of 16 teaching faculty posts. 12 for Psychiatrists and 4 for Non-medical allied disciplines. At present there are 12 faculty members in the department, 10 Psychiatrists and two Clinical Psychologists. Apart from these faculty positions the department is supported by occupational therapists, recreational therapist, social workers and other ancillary staff. The department also has posts for 5 senior residents and 12 MD seats for every academic year. In the year 2012, the department of psychiatry started the M.Phil course in Clinical Psychology with four seats per year which was subsequently increased to 8 seats per year from the year 2019. Course for Post- Graduate Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing has also been started in the department with appointment of one tutor and one lecturer in psychiatric nursing. Another course in M. Phil in Social Work is in the pipeline and is expected to be started soon.
Facilities and Services:
Indoor admission facilities are available for patients of all ages, suffering from psychiatric disorders, under the expert supervision of experienced consultants. The department has 120 general beds and six private rooms. There are two male wards, one female ward and a child & adolescent ward. Department has its own pharmacy providing essential medicines for OPD patients and patients hospitalized in the ward.
Specialty Clinics
Child and Adolescent Unit:
First created in 1959 as Child Guidance Clinic, has now developed into a full Child and Adolescent Unit with four faculties (one Professor, one Associate Professor and one Assistant Professor in psychiatry & one Assistant Professor cum clinical psychologist) along with other paramedical staffs. The unit is running child and adolescent OPDs on daily basis. Super-specialization (DM in child & adolescent psychiatry) has been planned and will be started shortly.
Drug de-addiction Unit:
The drug de-addiction unit was started in the year 1976. It has oulioor & indoor facilities.
Psychosexual and Marital Clinic:
The psychosexual disorders and marital clinic runs on every Monday of the week. It provides services for patients with psychosexual dysfunction and marriage related psychological problems.
Stress management and Anxiety disorders Clinic:
The department of psychiatry has started a specialty clinic for patients with anxiety and stress related disorders since the year 2012. The clinic runs on every Tuesday and provides special attention to psychosocial and life factors. Management incorporates psychological interventions with biological treatments.
Women's Mental Health Clinic:
The department of psychiatry has started women's mental health clinic on every Wednesday of the week to focus on the mental health issues of women since year 2014.
Neuropsychiatry Clinic:
The Neuropsychiatry clinic has been started on every Tuesday of the week in the department of psychiatry to focus on the psychiatric issues of patients with neurological and neurosurgical disorders.
Psycho-somatic & Consultation Liaison clinic:
The Psycho-somatic & Consultation Liaison clinic has been started on every Friday of the week in the department of psychiatry to focus on psycho-somatic disorders and interdepartmental liaising.
Community Psychiatry Unit
The department has recently started a community psychiatry unit.
Emergency Services
The department also provides round the clock emergency psychiatric services in its own departmental building and currently around 4000 patients avail this service per annum.