Medical Psychology
Telephone: |
+61-2-9845 6686 |
Facsimile: |
+61-2-9635 3948 |
Location: |
Level 2, |
Postal address: |
Department of Medical Psychology |
E-mail: |
Prof. Alex
Blaszczynski Communication to any staff member may also be forwarded to this email. |
Hours of Service: |
8.30am - 5.00pm |
Welcome to the Home Page of the Department of Medical Psychology at Westmead Hospital and the Sydney West Area Health Service (SWAHS). The department's main office is located at the main building of Westmead Hospital in the suburb of Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
Organisational Chart [PDF]
Introduction
Westmead Hospital's Department of Medical Psychology was established in 1982 with two full-time clinical appointments. It is now one of the largest and most productive clinical psychology departments within a teaching hospital in Australia, with a staff of over 40 practitioners.
The Department of Medical Psychology offers psychological services to inpatients and outpatients and their families as well as staff within the hospital and the SWAHS. It promotes the understanding of the role of psychological and psychosocial factors in the management and prevention of illness. Its primary concerns are with patient care, evaluation of treatment outcome, research and training. The Department of Medical Psychology differs from other such departments in that its services are not restricted to psychiatric patients or require referrals from medical practitioners. Clinical Psychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists provide a diversified range of services, assessing and treating disorders which include:
- Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa.
- Mood, anxiety and related disorders including anxiety, panic attack, post traumatic stress disorder,depression, phobias and insomnia.
- Emotional and behavioural problems of children and adolescents, issues of sexual abuse and marital and family dysfunction.
- Cognitive and emotional development of premature babies. Educational problems, including those associated with developmental delay and specific learning difficulties.
- Psychophysiological disorders, including hypertension, asthma, headache, nonspecific pain, menstrual problems and sexual dysfunction.
- Acute and chronic pain following accidents, burns or surgical procedures.
- Cognitive dysfunction secondary to neurological or metabolic disorders.
- Psychological problems associated with AIDS.
- Psychological issues associated with gynaecological cancer.
- Impulse control disorders including pathological gambling, compulsive hair-pulling, shoplifting and fire-setting.
Psychological Services:
Impulse Control Research Clinic
Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders Day Treatment Program
Anxiety Treatment and Research
Unit
Pain Clinic
Centre for Traumatic Stress
Neuropsychology
Traumatic Brain Injury
Child, Adolescent and Family
Psychology
Consultation-Liaison Psychology
The Growth and Development Clinic
Depression Management Programme
Cumberland Community Adult Mental
Health
The Westmead Centre for Gynaecological
Cancer
Orofacial Pain Management
Clinical Psychologists/Neuropsychologists have also been active in programmatic research activity which is needed to refine intervention techniques and further promote Westmead Hospital as a centre of excellence. The Department has been successful in attracting significant external funding for research purposes. Much of this research has been in collaboration with Departments of Medicine, Adult Psychiatry; Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatry and Surgery. Conducting research in an active health setting serves to focus attention on real life presenting problems rather than on issues of primarily theoretical interest which are often studied in academic settings. In the end, the patient benefits, since new procedures which are found to be effective can be built into routine clinical practice. Careful observation, hypothesis formation, understanding of processes and the development of innovative intervention procedures leads directly to improvements in cost-effectiveness of service delivery.
The department for many years is continuing its internship programme, a major component of its teaching activities.
Behavioural Medicine Lecture Series [PDF]
Contact Information:
Tel. 61-2-9845 6686
Fax: 61-2-9635 7734
Postal Address:
Department of Medical Psychology
Westmead Hospital
Westmead, NSW, Australia 2145
Enquiries and Comments to:
Prof. Alex Blaszczynski
E-mail: alexbl@wsahs.nsw.gov.au
Communication to any staff member may also be forwarded to this email.
25th Sept. 2006fsc
