Psychiatry
Responding to the greatest mental health challenge of our times
Good mental health is fundamental to the wellbeing of individuals, their families, and the community as a whole.
We achieve national and international recognition for excellence in teaching and learning, research and service provision in the areas of psychiatry, clinical neurosciences and behavioural medicine.
Teaching in the Psychiatry division consists of courses in Psychiatry, Behavioural Science and Neuroscience for students in the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.
Psychiatry encompasses clinical understanding of mental disorders, ageing and mental health and Neuroscience deals with the neural correlates of thoughts, emotions and behaviours.
“It is one of the joys of working in this field to see the profound improvement in the lives of patients whom we treat. Professor Sean Hood
Links with the World Psychiatric Association and leading academic departments and universities around the world
Professor Helen Milroy, commissioner for the Royal Commission into child sex abuse
World-renowned researchers using innovative ways to tackle some of our greatest health challenges, such as drug dependency
Managing patient depression and suicidality - a new approach for GPs
West Australian General Practitioners are completing a new accredited course designed to enhance their skills in recognising, diagnosing and treating depression and suicidality.
Read more'Working Together' to keep the fire burning during NAIDOC week
Ten years after its release, the go-to text on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and social and emotional wellbeing echoes the 2024 NAIDOC Week theme.
Read moreNew trial to investigate benefits of psilocybin in hard-to-treat patients
A clinical trial led by The University of Western Australia is evaluating the safety and efficiency of a psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy program.
Read moreCourses
Psychiatry is a medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Psychiatrists listen carefully and sensitively to people’s most personal thoughts and feelings, understand their mental state, and work with them to identify and implement appropriate treatments. These can include psychotherapy, psychotropic medication, social strategies and other interventions.
Areas of sub-specialisation include perinatal, child and adolescent psychiatry, psychiatry of old age, forensic psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, consultation-liaison psychiatry, psychotherapy and neuropsychiatry.
Both hospital and community-based psychiatry involves working with a team comprising nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, physiotherapists and psychologists, as well as collaborating with general practitioners. Psychiatrists and clinical psychologists also provide high-quality and accessible assessment and management of psychiatric disorders in the private sector.
Psychiatric practice is evidence based and involves working in partnership with carers and consumers to minimise stigma and advocate for change. Our teaching and learning activities consist of lectures, tutorials, patient visits, case-based learning and clinical clerkships with the aim of promoting the acquisition, retention and application of knowledge within a framework of self-directed lifelong learning.
Our postgraduate research degrees are open to graduates from a variety of disciplines, including physiology, psychology, neuroscience, genetics, nursing, epidemiology, public health, social work, anatomy, biological sciences, as well as clinical medicine.
Our staff are internationally renowned for their research
Our people
- Professor Sean Hood
- Professor Gary Hulse
Collaborations and industry partners
The Division includes a World Health Organization collaborating centre for research, training and consultative work on mental health.
We have links with the World Psychiatric Association and leading academic departments and universities around the world.
We conduct our research in collaboration with:
