Document Type
Article
Publication Date
October 2015
Abstract
Revolutionary advances in understanding mental disorders and in providing novel treatments have enhanced the expectations of patients and relatives. There is a growing demand on newer research in providing interventions that allow patients to live a normal life. Of late, concept of the illness itself has undergone significant change. It is now proposed that expected outcome from treatment of mental disorder is to achieve a state of ‚ ‘wellness.’ Positive psychiatry is a newer branch of psychological medicine that seeks to promote understanding of wellness and examines its application in intervention and prevention of mental disorders. The concept of positive psychiatry argues for a different approach to understanding and treating mental disorders, prevent transition of subclinical states to full blown illnesses, and finally, offer an innovative approach for preventing mental disorder. It opens up newer opportunities for providing holistic care. The branch of positive psychiatry is a new movement in mental health, which requires a concerted effort in research, education and knowledge translation. There is an urgent demand to build capacity for intellectual capital to invest in achieving its goals. An organizational and administrative platform to disseminate the knowledge and invite academic collaborations to advance research and education is necessary. Our goal is to seek a wider international foundation for an effective and strategic pathway to integrate positive psychiatry into mainstream global health. Implications of positive psychiatry go far beyond treatment of mental disorders. It is truly a branch of science exploring possibilities to achieve wellness from a state of illness and prevent a transition from a state of health to disease. Positive psychiatry contributes to the advancement of clinical, research, and educational requirements, significantly contributes to mental health promotions, attempt to have a fresh look‚ at the ‘mental health-mental illness’ paradigm to offer a ‘people-centric psychiatry.’ At the same time, it also investigates newer ways for fighting the stigma of mental disorders, advocates for providing access to care based upon its concept of positive psychiatry and sets an agenda for the social integration of individuals with mental disorders. We believe the wider scope of positive psychiatry will offer an effective strategy for ‘breaking the barriers’ in mental health. Considerable work in clinical psychiatry and neuroscience has irrefutably demonstrated that ‘its time has come
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