Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age
Welcome to the Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, The University of Melbourne
The Academic Unit conducts national and international clinical Research projects. The main areas of Academic Unit research include mental disorders in the elderly and prospective dementia research, clinical psychopharmacology trials of new medications and Huntington’s disease. The Academic Unit has a strong focus on reducing the stigma and discrimination towards older adults, and disseminating our research findings to benefit the elderly with mental disorders.
Knowledge Transfer is one of the key activities of the Academic Unit, facilitated through the ongoing Education, Training and Upskilling of students, health professionals and community service providers in the area of mental disorders in late life, throughout Victoria, Australia and the Asia Pacific Region.
Over the years a significant impact has been made in improving service delivery to the elderly with mental disorders in the St Vincent’s Aged Psychiatry Service (SVAPS) catchment area, interstate and overseas. The Academic Unit is an integral part of SVAPS, providing clinical leadership and academic support to SVAPS.
The Academic Unit contributed to International Best Practice Care for mental disorders through the development of the following World Psychiatric Association (WPA) and World Health Organisation (WHO) policy documents:
- Psychiatry of the Elderly
- Organisation of Care in Psychiatry of the Elderly
- Education in Psychiatry of the Elderly
These documents aim to provide guidance for the organisation and provision of care around the world.
The Academic Unit operates 5 Specialist Tertiary Consultancy Clinics using the model of public-private partnerships (PPP) for the mutual benefit of patients, their carers and families, as well as to support health service providers. The clinics provide evidence-based access to new treatments, and the opportunity to participate in drug trials of new medications.
Professor Nicola Lautenschlager has been the Head of the Academic Unit since July 2008.