Psychiatry

The end of mental illness," says Charles Nemeroff, director of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, USA. "The extraordinary progress made in recent years in genetics, neurology, and techniques for observing the workings of the brain will undoubtedly help answer several key questions in psychiatry. The first is the question of the causes of mental disorders—schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders. The closer we get to understanding them, the better we will be able to treat patients who suffer from them. Over the next 50 years, I expect not just one, but several breakthrough discoveries. These discoveries in genetics will help us develop tests that will allow us to assess the risk of illness or detect it early. Understanding the mechanisms of disease will enable the creation of entirely new and more effective therapies, individually tailored to each patient. The ultimate result of all these achievements will be a reduction in suicide, which is currently one of the leading causes of death."