Future perspectives on psychiatry

Abstract

mind (7) that leads many of our colleagues to consider that our field of knowledge is more related to philosophy and social sciences than medicine. It is our impression that this scenario is changing rapidly.Psychiatry is a leading field in many countries, and its prestige is closely related to the scientific achievements in the area. The translational neurosciences as the basis for 21st century psychiatry may help to address many of the challenges raised by our colleagues in their work (6). We cannot call ourselves specialists in neuroscience and, at the same time, call to ourselves the duty of explaining complex human behavior in strictly theoretical terms-as philosophers might.We do not have to convince our colleagues that psychiatry is 'good' and that they must think highly of us. What we can do is to focus on our work within medicine and refrain from using psychiatry as a means to provide large explanatory models for human behavior. If we concentrate in our target to help people who suffer from mental disorders using available scientific evidence, our diagnostic and therapeutic achievements shall determine how our colleagues and the community think about us and our work.

The gap between available knowledge and its use in clinical psychiatry

“…We cancelled any attempts to recruit psychiatrists and nurses from the wards. Instead, we established a research school for the most dedicated and gifted medical students .…”

Psychiatry generating comparative respect

“…A 180°contrasting attitude to this is demonstrated in this issue by the editorial comment by Blanner Kristiansen et al (6) representing a group of medical students organized in the Danish Psychiatric Research Academy. This group describes several initiatives among medical students dedicated to psychiatry in Denmark including examples from other countries.…”

“…This group concludes that 'psychiatry is an upcoming speciality which interests and attracts medical students', and they further conclude that 'role modeling is important as encouragement from experienced psychiatrists' (6). They declare their deep interest in psychiatry and they ask for role models (6). The discrepancy between this enthusiastic attitude among medical students and the burnout attitude mentioned above among young colleagues asks for initiatives from the established psychiatry.…”

Training students in research and scientific writing

“…This day there were fourteen of us in total, mostly medical students, but also a nurse, a statistician, a student of molecular nutrition and a student of psychology. All members of the Psychiatric Research Academy , a group of students highly dedicated to psychiatry and psychiatric research . Povl Munk‐Jørgensen, our mentor, sat patiently at the far end of the table.…”

“…Mentoring students is one of Povl's long‐standing passions. In 2012, Povl and then medical student Niels Okkels founded the Psychiatric Research Academy . Over a summer, they gathered a group of engaged medical students with an interest in clinical psychiatric research and invited them to learn about research from classical, practical principles of apprenticeship: see one, do one, teach one.…”