Department of Psychiatry

About Department

The Department of Psychiatry, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University Medical College & Bharati Hospital Pune is a part of BVDU Medical College and Hospital.

Overview

The Department of Psychiatry was established in the year 1992 and became postgraduate teaching establishment in 2006. At present the department is authorized to accept 3 MD Psychiatry candidates.

It is a tertiary care referral centre spread over 12000sq ft and includes inpatient unit, outpatient consulting rooms, departmental library, an ECT room and TDCS (neurostimulation) cum biofeedback room.

The inpatient unit is a 30 bedded unit including general wards and private rooms. The unit is manned round the clock by trained doctors and nursing staff. Acute management of violent, suicidal and severely psychiatrically ill patients with both pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention is done on a regular basis.

The outpatient unit functions daily manned by 2 Professors, 3 Associate Professors, 1 Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychologist and 2 Senior Resident along with Post graduate students of Psychiatry.

Treatment, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological (psychotherapeutic counselling) is offered after detailed assessment and evaluation. All major and minor psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, manic depression, depression, anxiety, sexual disorders are treated.

Teaching Learning

Teaching activities for the Undergraduate medical students are conducted in the department as per CBME guidelines. Sessions are conducted as per AETCOM Module which includes lectures, seminars and workshops. For example: Stress and Time management workshops, tutorials and clinical exposure.

Teaching activities for the Postgraduate Psychiatry residents is conducted in the department including seminars, case conferences, journal clubs, guest lectures, workshops.

Research projects both as mandated postgraduate theses, short protocols and faculty driven studies are routinely done.

Highlights

The department has an in house Clinical Psychology unit with facilities for extensive Psychometric assessment, IQ Psychoeducational Personality assessment and regular counselling (individual, marital) as and when indicated.
Academic counselling and Stress management is a major thrust area.
Electroconvulsive therapy (modified) is also offered as part of the treatment as and when required.
TDCS (neurostimulation) and Biofeedback are offered as interventions as and when required.
Substance abuse and dependence treatment including alcohol detoxification and deaddiction forms an important area of expertise.
Neuropsychiatric disorders of old age like dementia, mild cognitive impairment are also assessed and managed.
Sexual medicine and sexual counselling is another thrust area for the department.
Bharati Helpline is a telephone counselling facility started by the Department of Psychiatry on 10th October 2016 on World Mental Health Day.Telephone counselling is available for students on Bharati Vidyapeeth Dhankawadi Campus between 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday.

Child Development and Guidance Clinic manned by psychiatrists, developmental paediatrician and clinical psychologists is another speciality area, jointly managed by the departments of Paediatrics and Psychiatry. The clinic offers services for children with hyperactivity, developmental delays, autism, learning disabilities, speech language problems, enuresis and various other psychological problems in children and adolescents. Detailed assessment along with IQ/DQ (intelligence and developmental quotient), educational assessment is done and intervention including occupational, speech and physiotherapy and remedial educating is done.
The department also has a protocolised Nicotine Deaddiction Treatment centre and liases with various departments like Dentistry and Pulmonary Medicine.
Since 2019 the Bharati Hospital with the Department of Psychiatry being nodal centre has been running one of the first LGBTQ clinics in a medical college hospital setting. This was following a MOU with Samapathik Trust/Bindu Queer Foundation run by LGBTQ activist Mr Bindumadhav Khire.The department faculty (viz Dr Shetty & Dr Datar) are involved in assessment , counselling , assisting in “coming out” of individuals belonging to the LGBTQ community.Family education and counselling.Gender dysphoria assessment , certification and coordinating gender affirmation intervention.Intervention for all mental health issues faced by LGBTQ individuals

Extension Activites Community Services

Psychiatry department has conducted several clinics and workshops at the allied Rural Health Centre.
The department was also part of the State Government’s initiative to assess the psychological well-being of the migrant labour workforce during the COVID pandemic in April 2020.
Dr Jyoti Shetty was part of the team to develop clinical treatment protocols for medical officers of the state. A state health dept initiative for all clinical disciplines.
The department uses the opportunity of special occasions like Autism Awareness Day(April 7 every year), Suicide Prevention Day (September 10 every year), Alzheimer’s Day (September 21 every year) and World Mental Health Day (October 10 every year) to increase awareness of mental illness and management.
This awareness activity is in the form of articles in newspaper, posters and charts displayed in the hospital premises, organizing essay & poster competitions for undergraduate medical students and performance of skits on mental illness enacted by student nurses and postgraduate students of Psychiatry.