[Psychiatry--where are we and where are we going?]

The article gives a short review of the historical, ideological, theoretical and organizational development of the concept of protection and improvement of mental health (within a psychiatric context) both in Croatia and the rest of the world with special emphasis on the problems and possibilities which arise from the present situation in Croatia. It also explains the necessity to analyze the Law on Health Care and Health Insurance from a psychiatric point of view, the need to link the areas of psychiatry (preventive and clinical work) which deal with primary protection, the need to define the criteria and standards regarding the organization and reorganization of psychiatric clinics and general hospitals, the need to analyze and reorganize the study of psychiatry, the need to establish national and regional coordination boards and hold elections for national and regional coordinators and the need to establish the Centre for the Protected and Improvement of Mental Health.