The Department of Psychiatry, University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) that was established since 1977, was initially located at Hospital Kuala Lumpur and now occupies the first floor of the clinical block at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. Since its inception, the department has produced many competent psychiatric experts who are committed to providing comprehensive clinical services to patients not only from Kuala Lumpur, even from different places.
The Department of Psychiatry is also responsible for teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students in medical and health-related fields, whom in turn will continue to further develop the department to be more efficient in providing mental health services needed today.
The department provides psychiatric services through outpatient clinics, two psychiatric wards (each ward can accommodate 28 patients) and a High Dependency Unit, which has 6 beds for inpatients requiring intensive care. In fact, there are two special units called the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit (UPKR) and Community Psychiatry and Psychosocial Intervention Unit (UPKIP). Since 2003, UPKR has offered a subspecialty course in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
The academics in the department headed by Prof. Dr. Marhani Midin consist of thirteen specialists/lecturers in psychiatry and and four experts in clinical psychology, who are actively involved in researches. They have successfully published many articles in both local and international journals as well as related books.
In addition, the Department of Psychiatry has received a recognition for its Psychiatric Ward at UKM Medical Centre as a Psychiatric Hospital under the Mental Health Act 2001 and the Mental Health Regulations 2010 on June 15, 2010.