Psychiatry of the medically ill

This unit will cover essentials needed to provide Consultation-Liaison (C-L) Psychiatry services within a general hospital context which involves the psychiatric care of the medically ill patient.

You will develop an understanding of both the theoretical underpinnings of the mind-body interface and the essential skills in recognising, assessing and managing mental illness within a general medical context.

The unit will include consideration of specific C-L disorders including psychosomatic, conversion, hypochrondriacal, delirium, cognitive impairment; and the psychiatric consequences of pregnancy, cancer, renal, neurological, cardiac, respiratory, infectious, endocrine and gastrointestinal disorders; as well as specialised psychiatric management of the medically ill.

Emphasis is placed on acquiring in depth knowledge of the interviewing and assessment of the medically ill patient; the impact of medical illness on normal development, illness behaviour, cultural, ethical and systemic issues.