Objectives-To assess the psychological impact of first episode of genital herpes, and to determine whether this changes over time.

No abstract

Psychiatry is a medical speciality dealing with mental illness, emotional and behavioural disturbances. A psychiatrist is a trained doctor who has received further training in the field of diagnosing and managing mental illnesses. The role of the psychiatrist is to deliver high quality psychiatric services and lead on service planning, development and delivery working with other team members.Like many other organisations within the medical profession, the European Psychiatric Association seeks to rise to the challenge of articulating a definition that is fit for purpose in the 21st century as Page 3we work to deliver high--quality care for patients -in this case, the roles of psychiatrist in mental health services. This paper seeks to map the roles that a psychiatrist carries in their professional capacity and to define the values and competencies which will aid us in delivering the best care for our patients -care that is clinically effective, safe and patient--centred. This paper is directed toward psyciatrists, the medical profession as a whole, to other members of the multidisciplinary team in psychiatry to employers and commissioners, to educational and health service policy makers and patients and their carers.

Aims and MethodTo engage patients as teachers of psychiatrists in training and non-consultant career grades, for the purpose of enhancing doctors' understanding of the patient point of view and of the complexity of the doctor–patient relationship. Patients have been engaged as teachers in a recurrent cycle of ‘Basic Interview Skills' workshops and the views of the doctors about this initiative have been elicited through a brief anonymous and confidential questionnaire.ResultsThirty-six psychiatric senior house officers (SHOs), general practitioners, Vocational Training Scheme SHOs in psychiatry, and staff grade and trust doctors in psychiatry have participated in four cycles of workshops. Five patients have engaged in the workshops as teachers, alongside the clinical tutor. Questionnaire feedback indicated some specific criticisms of a number of participants and dissatisfaction by a small minority of doctors, but the overall evaluation of the experience was positive.Clinical ImplicationsEngagement of patients as teachers of psychiatrists in training and other new doctors in mental health services is desirable, feasible and welcomed by most doctors. With due attention to the legitimate sensitivities of participants, the practice of engaging patients as teachers of doctors working in psychiatry could be generalised in training schemes and services across the country.

SummaryIn ‘Wake-up call for British psychiatry’ Craddock et al explained how recent attempts to improve psychosocial care for people with mental illness focus on non-specific psychosocial support. This has been at the expense of proper diagnostic assessment and prescription of treatment by psychiatrists aimed at treatment of specific disorders and recovery. They describe a creeping devaluation of psychiatry which is caricatured as narrow, biological, reductionist, oppressive, discriminatory and stigmatising. Some trusts have implemented ‘New Ways of Working for Psychiatrists’ in a way that undermines the central importance of psychiatrists in mental healthcare. Consequently, patients may be treated in secondary care without ever being seen by a psychiatrist. We consider a number of different changes that have interacted in unforeseen ways, with unintended adverse consequences for psychiatric services in England. We aim to continue the debate here.