Through the prism darkly: how do others see psychiatrists?

With changes in healthcare delivery and public expectations of psychiatry and psychiatric services changing, we set out to explore how other professions and psychiatrists themselves see their roles. In the UK and the USA, recent political imperatives have influenced training and roles of psychiatrists. We wanted to explore patient and carer perspectives as well.

We conducted two focus groups with patients and carers to explore their views about the roles of the psychiatrist. For occupational therapists and social workers, a brief questionnaire was placed on their respective professional organization's website. Psychiatric trainees and psychiatrists attending different meetings were asked to fill in the questionnaire.

Patients and carers wanted to be more involved in planning their care. In common with other groups, being technically competent, being honest, approachable and being a good listener were general characteristics of a good psychiatrist. Occupational therapists saw psychiatrists as having a unique expertise and ability to provide leadership and also having skills in teaching, research, evaluating evidence and being respectful of other professions. Social workers would like psychiatrists to look beyond the medical model.

In spite of different methods of collecting information, common themes emerge in what stakeholders expect from psychiatrists. As a profession, we need to respond to this.