Commentary

Psychiatry’s best hope


 

In Dr. Henry A. Nasrallah’s “Psychiatric futurology” (From the Editor, Current Psychiatry, July 2010, p. 9-10) he seems to suggest that the best hope for the future of psychiatry is continued advances in neuroscience. I contend that clinical outcomes for patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have remained static despite high-profile advances. Perhaps psychiatry’s orientation has moved too far in favor of biologic approaches and our patients would be better served by improving psychosocial approaches, such as assertive community treatment and supportive employment. These approaches, enacted in partnership with allied mental health providers, can act synergistically with biologic approaches, leading to wellness and recovery through community integration. Such an approach may provide the best hope for the future success of psychiatry.

Walter Rush, MD
South-Metro Human Services ACT
St. Paul, MN

Recommended Reading

Combining therapies
MDedge Psychiatry
Maximizing ‘med checks’
MDedge Psychiatry
Psychiatric futurology
MDedge Psychiatry
Treat the patient, not the disease: Practicing psychiatry in the era of guidelines, protocols, and algorithms
MDedge Psychiatry
Sharing a patient’s care: Secrets for success
MDedge Psychiatry
Integrating psychiatry with other medical specialties
MDedge Psychiatry
From Persephone to psychiatry: Busting psychopharmacology myths
MDedge Psychiatry
Question BPD outcomes
MDedge Psychiatry
Med check distress
MDedge Psychiatry
Mainstreaming psychiatry
MDedge Psychiatry