The psychiatrist's responsibility and the public trust

The author notes that psychiatrists alone can change the public image of their profession. This image has been tarnished in the past by grandiose claims of psychiatry's ability to right social wrongs, by the perceived lack of scientific underpinnings of the discipline, and by internal disputes within the profession. If they are to gain the public trust, psychiatrists must determine for themselves what unique skills they have to offer and how they can best provide their knowledge and expertise to the public in an effective and credible way.