The community psychiatrist of the future.
OBJECTIVE
The potential contributions of the community psychiatrist are described, via the interdisciplinary team, to individuals and families dealing with mental illness, and to the communities of the future, along with the opportunities for, and barriers to, effective teamwork and community collaborations.


RESULTS
Health and medical training systems still provide perverse incentives deterring psychiatrists from becoming adequately trained in community psychiatry and full members of interdisciplinary teams, and skilled partners in improving the mental health of the whole community. Sources of potential role conflict should be resolved, and advantages of community collaborations, interdisciplinary leadership, support of teamwork, division of labour, cross-fertilization and hybrid vigour should be realized.


CONCLUSIONS
Truly essential and desirable roles and the skill base of community psychiatrists in interdisciplinary teams and local communities could be developed and strengthened by changes in basic and advanced psychiatric training, and by psychiatric professional bodies and training programmes placing greater emphasis and value upon the roles of a community psychiatrist.
Rosen
Alan
A
Royal North Shore Hospital and Community Mental Health Services, Sydney, Australia. arosen@nsccahs.health.nsw.gov.au
D001294:Attitude to Health; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000639:trends; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*