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[...]this approach, bringing with it a range of new technologies, can be criticised, and has produced a strong reaction from Bracken and colleagues ( pp. 430–434 ) who argue the case for ‘a post-technological psychiatry’ that ‘will not abandon the tools of empirical science or reject medical and psy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	British journal of psychiatry 2012-12, Vol.201 (6), p.502-502
Main Author:	Tyrer, Peter
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Behavior modification Civil war Ethics Health services Legislatures Medical research Medical treatment Mental depression Mental health Mental health services Meta-analysis Miliband, Ed Patients Pharmacology Politics Psychiatrists Psychiatry Psychopharmacology Psychotherapeutic techniques Psychotherapy Schizophrenia Social isolation Systematic review Therapeutic alliances
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Summary:	[...]this approach, bringing with it a range of new technologies, can be criticised, and has produced a strong reaction from Bracken and colleagues ( pp. 430–434 ) who argue the case for ‘a post-technological psychiatry’ that ‘will not abandon the tools of empirical science or reject medical and psychotherapeutic techniques but will start to position the ethical and hermeneutic aspects of our work as primary, thereby highlighting the importance of examining values, relationships, politics and the ethical basis of care and caring’ ( p. 432 ). Many are concerned about the increasing isolation of psychiatrists from other medical disciplines 10,11 and fear that the specialist knowledge about drug treatment emphasised by Patel ( pp. 425–427 ), Barnes & Paton ( pp. 428–429 ) and Howes et al ( pp. 481–485 ) will be lost if we separate ourselves too much from the science of pharmacology. 12,13 So we must avoid civil war psychiatry 14 and recognise that while the therapeutic relationship remains central to good practice, patients will prosper most if this essential element is supported by a technological evidence base that is far from perfect but is a necessary handmaiden to serve patient care intelligently and well. [...]it was a pleasant surprise to see our Leader of the Opposition in the UK parliament, Mr Ed Miliband, come and proclaim his support for both mental health services and research at the Royal College of Psychiatrists on 29 October.
ISSN:	0007-1250 1472-1465