Historical aspects of the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Goa

Organized delivery of mental health services in Goa had its origin during the Portuguese regime. From the inception of a mental asylum in the 1500s, mental health services have come a long way. In post liberation period, after 1961, under the guidance of a WHO Consultant, Dr. Govindaswamy, a new mental hospital was built at Panaji, Goa and it was named as the Abbe de Faria Institute. The Department of Psychiatry in Goa Medical College was established in 1968, and unlike in most parts of the country, where Psychiatry was a part of Medicine; here in Goa, it enjoyed an independent departmental status. With the merger of Department of Psychiatry with the mental hospital, an independent Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behavior emerged in 1980, a status it continues to retain till date. In 2016, the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behavior has been identified to become a “Centre of Excellence” by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.