From Alienism to ACOs: Integrating Psychiatry, Again

Dominic A Sisti1, Chethan Ramamurthy1

  • 1Dr. Sisti is with the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (e-mail: sistid@upenn.edu ). Dr. Ramamurthy is with the Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple University, Philadelphia. Benjamin G. Druss, M.D., M.P.H., is editor of this column.

Summary

Psychiatry is integrating into general medicine, but a modern "alienism" persists. Achieving conceptual parity, where mental illnesses are seen as equal to physical ones, is crucial for full integration.

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