Psychiatry and Mental Health Research

The Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Research provides a multidisciplinary, community mental health service to adults living in the catchment area of Dublin South East. The Department also provides specialist services in liaison psychiatry, psychiatry of later life and eating disorders, as well as the perinatal psychiatry service in the National Maternity Hospital, located in Holles Street, Dublin 2.

Our services

We provide a range of mental health services as an inpatient or outpatient.

Inpatient

Inpatient care is provided to patients over 18 years of age in Elm Mount Unit in St. Vincent’s University Hospital – located on the ground floor at the end of the main corridor.

Elm Mount comprises two floors, Elm Mount (Upper) and Elm Mount (Lower) which provides general acute and various specialised care services including eating disorders and liaison services. Patients in Elm Mount are supported by nursing staff and the mental health team. They may attend individual or group based activities with occupational therapy or art therapy during their stay.

Outpatient

Outpatient appointments for eating disorders, liaison psychiatry and a clozapine clinic are all held in Suite 3, 4 and 5 in St. Vincent’s University Hospital.

Outpatient clinics for the community services are held in Vergemount Outpatient Department, Clonskeagh Hospital and Irishtown Health Centre. Community Mental Health services are also provided in Vergemount Day Hospital and Vergemount Day Centre in Clonskeagh Hospital.

Services include:

• General Adult Psychiatry
  This Service is provided by Multidisciplinary Community Mental Health Teams. Outpatients are seen in Vergemount Outpatient Department, Clonskeagh Hospital and Irishtown Health Centre. Inpatient care is based in Elm mount Unit.
• Liaison Psychiatry
  This specialty, also known as Psychological Medicine is concerned with the care of people presenting with both mental and physical health symptoms regardless of presumed cause. Patients are seen in the accident and emergency department, on medical and surgical wards and liaison outpatient clinics
• Psychiatry of old age
  Provided in Carew House, St. Vincent’s University Hospital, this service has six inpatient beds in the Elm Mount Unit, a day hospital and community outreach to patient homes and nursing homes in the area.
• Eating disorder service
  The eating disorder service provides an assessment and treatment facility to adults who suffer from the condition, which includes anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. The service is available to people living in the Dublin South East, Dublin South and Wicklow areas.  Most patients, who attend the eating disorder service do so on an outpatient basis. Our facility in the Elm Mount Unit (Lower) provides more intensive support and treatment to people who are unable to manage their illness in the community. Download referral form for Adult Eating Disorder Service.
• Perinatal Psychiatry
  The perinatal team supports mothers and mothers to be who are experiencing mental health difficulties during pregnancy, birth and beyond. The team is currently based in the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin2.

Consultants

• Prof. Kevin Malone
• Dr. Caroline Maher
• Dr. Colm Cooney
• Dr. Cathy Rogers
• Dr. Leonard Douglas
• Dr. Sinéad Murphy
• Prof. Anthony McCarthy
• Dr. Susan Moore

Staff

The mental health service at St.Vincent’s University Hospital is a multidisciplinary service including staff across a range of professions: consultant psychiatrists, specialist registrars, psychiatric registrars, ward-based nursing staff, day hospital nursing staff, community mental health nursing staff, social workers, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, art therapist, dietitians, as well as administrative and catering staff.

Clinics

• Psychiatry outpatient clinic

Referral information

Adults can be referred to the mental health services by their GP. GPs are asked to send a referral letter to the relevant consultant psychiatrist outlining the person’s concerns, relevant history and contact details.

Useful links

The following information will help you access support for concerns related to mental health. This is not a complete list of support services however, your GP or local HSE Health Office may be able to provide a more detailed list of services in your area.

Depression, anxiety, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia 

• Grow
  • Information line: 1890 47 44 74
  • email: info@grow.ie
• Aware
  • Office: (01)  661 7211 (Mon-Sun, 10am – 10pm)
• Samaritans
  • 24-hr confidential support: 116 125
• Mental Help
• Shine Online
  • Information helpline  1890 621 631
• Barnardos
  • Office:  (01) 454 9699
• Your Mental Health
• Social Anxiety Ireland

Self-harm and suicide

• Pieta
  • Helpline which provides support for people experiencing suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harm. Phone 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 and someone will respond by text asking how they can help
• Save our Sons and Daughters
  • email: info@sosadireland.ie
  • SOSAD emergency line: (086) 6698 735

Alcohol and Drug Helpline

• Phone 1800 459 459 (Mon-Fri, 09:30-17:30)
  www.askaboutalcohol.ie

Rape Crisis Centre

• The Rape Crisis Centre
• Dublin Rape Crisis Centre
  • email: rcc@indigo.ie
  • tel:  (01) 661 4911
  • 24hr telephone helpline: 1 800 778 888