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.