Social psychiatry and public mental health: present situation and future objectives. Time for rethinking and renaissance?
OBJECTIVE
To describe the social psychiatric challenges of modern psychiatry in European societies in the light of recent psychiatric research evidence and to show how these challenges could be conceptualized.


METHODS
Reviewing aggregate morbidity and mortality data from the WHO European Health for All Database, and summarizing consultations and fact-finding missions to many European countries during the authors engagement as WHO Regional Advisor for Mental health from 1998 to 2004.


RESULTS
Societal change in Europe is leading to stress and mental ill health for its populations. The consequence is a dramatic increase in burden due to mental illness and stress-related morbidity and mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
A re-thought and re-conceptualized social and societal psychiatry with focus on public mental health must have a renaissance. Innovative efforts are of crucial and imperative importance seeing mental health in the light of recent experience and science as probably the most important public health issue.
Rutz
W
W
Unit for Psychiatry and Health Promotion, Academic University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. wolfgang.rutz@akademiska.se
D002423:Cause of Death; D003158:Community Psychiatry / Q000639:trends*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000639:trends*; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000639:trends*; D011633:Public Facilities; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications; D013405:Suicide / Q000639:trends; D014944:World Health Organization