Despite the advent of modern technology world wide in medicine in general and psychiatry in particular, yet, psychiatric services in Sudan have become so meager if not completely ignored .Ironically this happens at the same time with economical development, urbanization, migration and social change, which  led to the awareness for the need of mental health care at primary, secondary and tertiary level.

Mental illness is a great disability ,it does not only involve the patent but also his family (close and extended) and the society as a whole. This is together with the bias of not giving priority in mental health care because they presumed it lead to social stigma and that eventually  paved the way for  the traditional healers .

The human being is one unit composed of body and mind (psyche and soma). Because of this the term psychosomatic disorder emerged. This holistic approach has led to the importance of mental health as an integral part of human physical, psychological and social wellbeing . It is quite fortunate that the faculty has under taken the decision of establishing an independent department of mental health in order to insure the delivery of a comprehensive course of psychiatric knowledge to the undergraduate students.

Aims:

• To prepare the students become familiar with mental health services and common psychiatric problem e.g. Toxic psychosis due to parasitic or bacterial infection- Malaria, typhoid, Meningitis etc..
• To adopt a holistic approach in the management of psychiatric problems and recognize the social stigma and disability.
• Grasp medical ethics and medico-moral standards, and confidentiality of information regarding his patients.