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Should Psychiatry be integrated into Neurology and Immunology?

ivanaSenior Contributor07 Dec 2014, 5:55 pm AEDT

Should Psychiatry be integrated into Neurology and Immunology?

I believe part of the reason why Psychiatry is 30 years behind in regards to advances is due to seperation between Psychiatry,Neurology,Endocrinology etc...
There are countless studies that show that in some people with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder,Autoimmunity is involved and some of the genes involved are Immune system genes.
In addition Neuroinflammation has been found in post-Mortem in both Depression and Schizophrenia.
However,Immunologist,Neurologists etc in this country take a great disinterest in "mental patients" and these study findings never get incorporated into clinical practice.

It's also discrimination that people with Mental Illnesses who have cognitive loss often don't receive Pet scan studies or Neuropsychological testing like people with Dementia get.

Is there anything that can be done to change this or is the mindset too set in medical practitioners in this country and it's a "David and Goliath" situation...?

2 replies

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In response to: Should Psychiatry be integrated into Neurology and Immunology?

FransceneContributor07 Dec 2014, 9:20 pm AEDT

Re: Should Psychiatry be integrated into Neurology and Immunology?

Hi, I agree with your view. A far more holistic approach is required when it comes to mental illness. All of the body's systems are intricately linked and do not work independently of each other. I feel that slowly (perhaps a little too slowly) this is beginning to be understood from a scientific if not yet a medical perspective. Hopefully they'll get there sooner rather than later.

In response to: Should Psychiatry be integrated into Neurology and Immunology?

RickSenior Contributor13 Dec 2014, 3:18 pm AEDT

Re: Should Psychiatry be integrated into Neurology and Immunology?

Hello Ivana,

I'm Rick.

I have thought alot about this particular issue from the point of view of effective diagnosis and treatment.

Treatment for many MIs is an art rather than a science. It requires a good working knowledge of neuro chemistry, psychopharmocology, neuro psychiatry and immunolgy, amongst quite a few others. It's impossible for a single professional to have knowledge that is affective in all the neccessary disciplines.

Maybe after 50 years of practice you find a clinician with such ability but for most it a case of referencing and trying stuff out.

This gap is surely due to a lack of research and dissemination. If the sort of money that goes into cancer research was put into MH we'd have a greater body of knowledge to reference. That sadly is not the case.

Personally I believe that most clinicians do the best they can. But it's not nearly enough. we have a lot of federal money going into participation programs atm. And that's good and fine and noble. But the idea is that RECOVERY is a construct designed to improve a quality of life rather than a cure or a real recovery. In the end we are expected to just live with an illness/ disease, that is potentially fatal ( behavioural aspects of illness) and at the very least impacts mortality rates.

None of us asked for this. When we search for help we find enormous gaps between need and what is supplied. Most of us need to be asymptomatic. Would'nt be wonderful? No symptoms? But it is not an option for the majority. At best many rely on a relief of symptoms. And that is not nearly good enough.

When I think about what countries spend their national budgets on I weep in frustration. America is still spending Trillions on arms and warfare, not to mention the billions spent of outland security.

Take a military budget for Australia over a peiod of say 3 years, that 1.5 billion dollars roughly could very quickly turn into effective treatments within 10 years.

I could rant for hours on thissubject, But I'm tired and need a nap.

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