The recent recognition of the global importance of mental disorders has put psychiatry firmly on the international health agenda. The World Health Organization has estimated that neuropsychiatric disorders and suicide account for 12.7% of the global burden of disease.1 Major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, alcohol misuse, and obsessive compulsive disorder account for five of the 10 leading causes of disability in low and middle income countries. In high income countries, dementia is the third most common neuropsychiatric disorder. We examine social, therapeutic, and aetiological developments in the specialty and discuss how they are influencing clinical practice.
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