Lancet Commission 2017: The Future of Psychiatry
2017
This report from the World Psychiatric Association-Lancet Psychiatry Commission on the Future of Psychiatry, addresses several priority areas for psychiatry into the 21st century, identifying challenges and opportunities for the profession to best meet the needs of patients with mental illness. The Commission reflects on the changing nature of the patient population in response to demographic shifts, urbanization, and migration trends, and emphasizes the value of the human elements of practice (such as cultural sensitivity and forming strong therapeutic alliances with patients) alongside technical advances in the field, like biomarker-based diagnostics and digital technologies for remote treatment. The report also argues for the structural reform of health services to allow for multidisciplinary and integrated care. It identifies social and regulatory/policy-based changes that would destigmatize mental illness, break down barriers to care, and strengthen the rights of individuals with psychiatric disorders. It describes the promising trend of digital psychiatry while cautioning of the importance of tested, evidence-based practice, and also discusses the shifts required for professional training programs to ensure the psychiatrist of the future engages in lifelong learning and quality improvement.
Lancet Commission 2017: The Future of Psychiatry
Source:
Bhugra D et al. The WPA-Lancet Psychiatry Commission on the Future of Psychiatry. The Lancet Psychiatry 2017; 4(10): 775-818. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30333-4.