Malladi Srinivasa Sastry
Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
Title: Conceptual challenges of psychiatry
Biography
Biography: Malladi Srinivasa Sastry
Abstract
To enhance the standing of psychiatry as a medical discipline that applies principles of evidence based practice mental health professionals would need to review what we best represent and how we are viewed by medical fraternity at large and the general public. Psychiatry has its inherent challenges to be described homogenously by various practitioners and critics alike. The medical model demands anatomic or physiological basis for the disorders to be identified with specific set of symptoms or to be detected by tests which show results specific to the disorder. There are often challenges in treatment and response to treatment due to medicalization of certain apparent social problems which are likely to be misdiagnosed such as adjustment disorder. In this presentation we shall look at enhacing the reliability of diagnoses and treatment keeping in view the limitations that are inherent to the field of psychiatry. Another dimension of conceptual overlap which is often not discussed is the spiritual domain besides biological, psychological and social. The implications cannot be underestimated as a significant population across the world may be at risk of not getting the right kind of support if the clinician is not trained in this area. We shall look at why it is important to include spiritual understanding in mainstream psychiatry and how it can be incorporated within assessment and management.