The Department of Psychiatry at the Kasturba Medical College was established in the year 1975 under the leadership of Dr.R.L.Kapur. The department functions as two units. Dr.PSVN Sharma, MD DPM, as Professor and Head of the Department is the head of Unit 1. Dr.Sripathy M Bhat, MD DPM MNAMS is the chief of the second unit. The Outpatient Department functions on all days except Sundays. The department has comprehensive training programmes for post graduation in Psychiatry for both diploma (DPM) and master degree (MD).  The department is also involved in training students in M.Phil clinical Psychology and Psychiatric Social Work.

The clinical services offered by the department are, management of major psychiatric disorders using both pharmacological and psychosocial interventions. The department has speciality services for drug and alcohol abuse, geriatric psychiatric illnesses including dementia, child psychiatric disorders, consultation liaison services with other departments of the hospital and psycho oncology services for cancer patients. In addition, this department also provides psychiatric services at District hospital and Dr.T.M.A.Pai Rotary Hospital Udupi.

The department also conducts clinical camps in remote areas of Udupi district like Karkala, Udyavara and Kaup as part of community psychiatric services. These camps help to extend modern psychiatric treatment for mentally ill patients who are unable to attend hospitals because of cost and distance.

In addition, the department is also participating in international and national multicentre  Clinical trials in major psychiatric disorders and pharmacokinetic studies in the area of drug research. We are   involved in the community psychiatry project for evaluating health care delivery systems in the community (2006-2008)