One
in five people suffer from emotional problems sufficiently distressing
to justify seeking professional help. Their symptoms can range from
relatively mild feelings of depression and anxiety
to severe distress and dysfunction which threatens life itself. Unfortunately,
many people with mental illnesses and emotional problems fail to seek
the professional help that they need.
Scientific, medical and social research is enabling a better understanding
of the nature and cause of psychiatric illnesses and symptoms, and improved
ways of diagnosing and treating them are constantly being developed.
Psychiatrists are at the forefront of this exciting phase of research
and development and are thus able to offer the best available diagnostic
and treatment approaches.