Dr Michael John Murphy

Dr Michael John Murphy.

I am a (Consultation Liaison, CL) Psychiatrist working in public health (NSW Health). I work in two locations, in the urban hospital of the Prince of Wales hospital (POWH) and rurally at Orange Health Service. As a CL psychiatrist, I work in the general hospital wards (medical, surgical, ICU etc) with patients who have a comorbid mental health difficulty (such as depression, psychosis, delirium etc). I provide expert assessment and advise to the patient, their loved ones and the health care staff involved.

I am also a clinican researcher, whereby I undertake research, in both my role within NSW health, and within a Mindgardens funded research project. Mindgardens funded a collaboration project between the Blackdog Institute, South East Sydney Local Health District (CL within POWH) and the School of Psychiatry at UNSW. This 2 year project ran from August 2020 - Sept 2022 and looked to improve how we manage the 'mind-body' connection for patients who have a major physical health problem. It is called the SHAPE trial (Screening and Support for Health and General Anxiety at the Prince of Wales Hospital - An Exploratory Study). It will be analyzed in the end of 2022 and into 2023. 

I previously worked, and then held an honorary appointment, at the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD), which is a joint venture of St. Vincent's hospital, Sydney and the School of Psychiatry at UNSW. 

My PhD via the School of Psychiatry, UNSW, looked into the role of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) in the treatment of depression and/or anxiety in cancer patients. In 2016/7, a randomised controlled trial (RCT) looking to evaluate iCBT in early-stage cancer and cancer survivors was undertaken. The following year, a pre-post trial looking at iCBT in advanced stage cancer occurred.  I held a NSW Institute of Psychiatry Research Fellowship over the course of 2016.

Apart from the projects listed above, I was involved in smaller projects, such as looking at how we care for patients with eating disorders, examining how we deal with blood-borne viral illnesses in mental health patients, and how to teach doctors about assessing a patients' decision making abilities, or their capacity. I was the project principal for a HETI Medical Education Support Fund (MESF) grant in 2015, which was repeated for 2016/17.

In addition to being a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry (FRANZCP), I am also a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatry UK (MRCPsych). Before psychiatry training I competed an undergraduate science and then post-graduate medical degree in Ireland. After completing my internship, I completed basic physician training program (MRCPI) and worked as a Medical Oncology Registrar prior to entering Psychiatry training. 

I previously supervised UNSW ILP students in 2016/17, a University of Notre Dame honours student in 2018, and will have an ILP student in 2022.