Psychiatric research--a new tomorrow

Problems and priorities in psychiatric research in South Africa are reviewed. Some of the findings of the MRC/UCT Clinical Psychiatry Research Unit in respect of mental disorders in psychiatric hospitals in black patients, the elderly, and in association with substance abuse are given to indicate that each of these is a major medical problem. In particular, the increase in the amount of psychiatric disorder due to an ageing population, and the lack of rehabilitation facilities for the chronic mentally ill have been emphasised. The need to focus psychiatric research on intervention strategies and to co-ordinate neurobiological and clinical areas of investigation is stressed.