History
The Department of Mental Health, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, was created by the University Senate in January/February 2020, having been separated from the Department of Internal Medicine after nearly three decades during which Psychiatry was domiciled within that department. The creation of a fully autonomous Department of Mental Health aligns with the requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), which mandate that every accredited medical school in Nigeria maintain a separate and independent department of psychiatry and mental health.
Vision
| To uphold the highest academic and professional standards in mental health education, remaining current with contemporary advances in the diagnosis and management of mental disorders through training confident, disciplined and reliable physicians capable of practising anywhere in the world. |
Mission
The Department is committed to the production of medical doctors and health professionals of the highest calibre, through vibrant, modern medical education in behavioural, psychological and neurological medicine. Graduates are equipped to provide comprehensive mental health care across primary and secondary care levels, with skills in the recognition, diagnosis and management of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders with due attention to the sociocultural, religious, ethical, legal and economic contexts of the African patient population.
Philosophy and Curriculum
The MBBS training programme in Mental Health prepares graduates to function as effective, competent general practitioners with adequate proficiency in psychiatry and mental health, whilst ensuring that the curriculum is internationally comparable. Course offerings covers General and Adult Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Emergency Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry, History of Psychiatry, Psychosocial Issues, HIV and Tropical Infections, and Oncology and Palliative Care. Clerkship assignments are available in inpatient units, outpatient clinics and consultation-liaison services.
Liaison Services
The Department receives referrals from all clinical departments of NAUTH Nnewi, including Anaesthesiology, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Surgery, reflecting the centrality of mental health within NAUTH’s integrated, holistic patient care policy.