Overview
Message from the Division Lead
General psychiatry is the subspecialty at the interface of psychiatry and medicine. The primary focus of the service is the provision of psychiatric and psychological consultation to, as well as care for, all adult in-patients on the medical, intensive care and surgical units at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Hamilton Health Sciences hospitals, including the Hamilton General Hospital, Juravinski Hospital and Juravinski Cancer Centre. The focus upon the mind-body interplay is a key aspect of diagnosis and treatment, as well as teaching and research endeavors in general psychiatry, and encompasses those with physical disorders who become mentally unwell and those with major mental illness who develop medical conditions.
Another major aspect of the general psychiatry service is assessing, treating and arranging follow-up for those who have survived serious suicide attempts. Our service also has several out-patient arms. These include the psycho-oncology service at the Juravinski Cancer Centre, which began in 2019, the renal transplant service, a psychiatric clinic associated with the Firestone Institute for those with chronic lung disease, the respirology rehabilitation service and a neuropsychiatry clinic. The general psychiatry service offers teaching and supervision to medical students, residents in psychiatry and PhD students in psychology.
Patricia Rosebush, Division Lead, General Psychiatry
Faculty Directory
Information Box Group
Michael Brown
BHSc (Hons)
Assistant Clinical Professor
Faculty
Michael Brown
BHSc (Hons)
Assistant Clinical Professor
Faculty
Anthony Levinson
MD, MA, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Anthony Levinson
MD, MA, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Joseph Pellizzari
PhD
Associate Professor
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Joseph Pellizzari
PhD
Associate Professor
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Karen Zhang
PhD, CPsych
Assistant Professor
Part-Time/Adjunct Faculty
Karen Zhang
PhD, CPsych
Assistant Professor
Part-Time/Adjunct Faculty
Michael Brown
BHSc (Hons)
Assistant Clinical Professor
Faculty
Michael Brown
BHSc (Hons)
Assistant Clinical Professor
Faculty
Anthony Levinson
MD, MA, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Anthony Levinson
MD, MA, MSc, FRCPC
Associate Professor
Faculty
Joseph Pellizzari
PhD
Associate Professor
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Joseph Pellizzari
PhD
Associate Professor
Part Time/Adjunct Faculty
Karen Zhang
PhD, CPsych
Assistant Professor
Part-Time/Adjunct Faculty
Karen Zhang
PhD, CPsych
Assistant Professor
Part-Time/Adjunct Faculty
Education
In addition to daily clinical teaching rounds with involved staff and students, there are monthly consultation-liaison rounds that are open to all in the department.
Clinical
The general psychiatry services at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Hamilton Health Sciences are made up of teams of psychiatrists, psychologists and advanced practice nurses.
Clinical Initiatives
- The study of thiamine deficiency in acutely ill patients seen for psychiatric consultation
- The prospective study of paraneoplastic syndromes
Research
Research endeavors emerge from the clinical problems encountered in caring for those who are both medically and psychiatrically unwell.
Research Areas
Examples of our research include:
- Diagnosis, clinical presentation, demographic profile and course of illness in those with thiamine deficiency
- Psychological impact of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions
- Treatment of anxiety disorders in those with chronic lung disease
- Treatment and course of illness in those with functional neurological disorders
- Approach to treatment in patients with Parkinsonism and psychosis
- Diagnosis and treatment of paraneoplastic syndromes with primary psychiatric presentations
Contact Us
We invite you to learn more about the Division of General Psychiatry and the opportunities that are available at McMaster University. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.