MEDICAL PROGRESS - PROGRESS IN PSYCHIATRY .1.

The field of psychiatry has undergone a profound transformation in recent years. The focus of research has shifted from the mind to the brain, one of the most exciting frontiers in biology. At the same time, the profession has shifted from a model of psychiatric disorders based on maladaptive psychological processes to one based on medical diseases. Research strategies have evolved from unitary methods, such as correlations of particular psychiatric disorders with peripheral measures of neurotransmitters, to integrative studies that consider molecular, cellular, neural, and behavioral variables. This new medical approach to psychiatry has led to the vigorous pursuit of… © 1993, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.