Adult Psychiatry Services
SLUCare Physician Group psychiatrists provide emergency, outpatient, inpatient and consultation services for adults in need of mental health evaluation and treatment at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital. Similar services are provided to veterans at the John Cochran Veteran's Affairs Medical Center.
We offer help for a broad spectrum of mental health disorders, from stress to major depressive disorders. We treat adjustment disorders related to school, work or relationships, as well as severe mood swings, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and other psychiatric problems.
We also treat adults who have medical or neurological disorders, injuries or physical disabilities that limit their functionality or lead to troubled emotions.
Evaluation and Therapies
A thorough evaluation by a mental health professional is the first step toward diagnosing psychiatric problems. Our evaluation consists of an in-depth interview with you, and often with those closest to you. Special medical evaluations, laboratory tests or X-ray studies may be performed to further clarify your diagnosis, and so our psychiatrists are able to formulate a personalized treatment plan.
In most instances, treatments are offered on an outpatient basis and often consist mainly of psychotherapy, psychiatric medications or a combination of those methods. If necessary, patients may be admitted to a partial hospitalization program or to a full inpatient unit for more intensive treatment. SLUCare psychiatrists offer:
- Individual therapy: Supportive counseling, insight-oriented psychotherapy, interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy are available. Through your increased understanding of your situation and past and present experiences, you will gain mastery over your emotions and behavior.
- Group and family therapy: This may be the primary treatment for certain people, or can be offered in addition to individual therapy. Including your partner or family in your therapy can be a powerful tool, while group therapy can offer mutual insights and support.
- Psychiatric medications: These can be extremely effective in controlling the major symptoms of a host of mental disorders and may be the mainstay of treatment in many situations. In other instances, these medications can enable and facilitate your therapy or other treatment.
- Electroconvulsive therapy: ECT can be administered, with your consent, during the course of hospitalization or on an outpatient basis. These treatments are performed in the hospital with anesthesia.
Programs and Services
The Adult Inpatient Treatment Program offers respite from overwhelming environmental stresses and an opportunity for intensive treatment. Every patient is part of a carefully designed and individualized treatment plan administered by a trained multidisciplinary professional staff. Both individual and group treatments are used, along with a range of therapeutic and psycho-educational activities throughout the day. Whenever possible, families are encouraged to visit and meet with staff members.
Unless physically ill, people in this program are out of bed and mobile during the day. Most patients have private rooms and eat in a group dining room on the unit. Laundry facilities and recreational activities are available. Before the end of a patient's hospitalization, our treatment team will help implement a discharge plan for their continuing care.
The Outpatient Clinic provides treatment for individuals and their families and partners. Depending on each patient's needs, treatment may take the form of individual sessions with physicians and therapists, group therapy sessions, and/or family and couples therapy sessions.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of outpatient psychotherapy that teaches patients to modify patterns of thinking, behaving and reacting emotionally. It is clinically proven as an effective treatment for:
- Depression
- Phobias
- Panic disorder
- Social anxiety
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Insomnia
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Eating disorders
- Other psychiatric problems
The SLUCare Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Program helps patients develop the skills to deal with real life situations, while also gaining symptom relief. Treatment occurs over 8-20 weeks (or more if needed) with the goal of empowering patients to become their own life long therapist.
The SLUCare CBT Program is a regional clinic of the National Social Anxiety Center, an organization dedicated to increasing patient access to cutting-edge treatment for social anxiety.
If your insurance carrier does not cover CBT, you may be eligible for free psychotherapy services with SLU School of Medicine psychiatry residents. Meet our pyschiatrist specializing in cognitive behavior therapy.
The Consultation-Liaison Service is available around the clock for hospitalized patients who suffer psychiatric symptoms due to medical illness, or due to an emotional reaction either to being ill or to factors independent of the medical illness.