title: From research methods to clinical practice in psychiatry: challenges and opportunities in the developing world.
abstract: Psychiatric disorders are amongst the most prevalent, burdensome, and costly of all medical disorders. Several factors make this an exciting time for research on these conditions; these include relevant advances in (1) nosology and epidemiology; (2) neuroscience, including neurogenetics, molecular neurobiology, cognitive-affective neuroscience, and brain imaging; (3) psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions; (4) systems research in mental health, including evaluation of evidence and of costs; and (5) patient advocacy and mental health literacy. At the same time, there are important challenges facing psychiatry researchers; these include (1) limitations of current diagnostic systems; (2) problems in attracting talented researchers to neuroscience and in obtaining sufficient funding for the vast amount of needed work; (3) a relative lack of controlled pharmacotherapeutic and psychotherapeutic studies undertaken outside the context of tertiary centres in the developed world; (4) ongoing gaps in systems research, including a relative lack of research on the effects of mental health policy; and (5) stigmatization of mental illness and anti-scientific beliefs in the community. These opportunities and challenges exist in both the developed and the developing world, but their scope may differ qualitatively and quantitatively; here we present a perspective from the developing world. We conclude with a wish list for the way forwards.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, South Africa. dan.stein@uct.ac.za
authors: Dan J
authors: DJ
authors: Stein
authors: Soraya
authors: S
authors: Seedat
mesh_terms: D019295:Computational Biology; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000639:trends*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends; D012107:Research Design