Current trends in the treatment of major psychiatric disorders

The concept of major psychiatric disorders is not static and changes with the advances of science. Biomarkers including parameters obtained using brain imaging methods will probably play a more important role in the incoming classification. Major psychiatric disorders, recurrent depression, bipolar and schizophrenic disorders are considered life-long diseases which need long-time treatment. They are more or less consistently connected with functional and structural changes in the brain. The disease and its treatment form a process which has its own dynamics which has to be always considered. Acute treatment has different goals than the maintenance one. The evaluation of treatment efficacy is becoming more and more important. The most important factors for the right treatment choice are the experienced doctor and the patients with their specifics. To them, the clinical picture, individual dispositions to adverse events, somatic diseases, response to previous treatment and experiences and preferences of the ill belong. The final goal is an individualized treatment which is to-day considered optimal.

Keywords: classification, concept of psychiatric disorder, efficacy, side-effects, individualized treatment