ABSTRACT
An understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders and pharmacotherapy is essential for any provider of community mental health care, and for administrators of community mental health services. The bio-psycho-social model provides a framework for developing comprehensive treatment plan. Neuropsychiatric syndromes are grouped into several larger categories: psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and dementias, along with several other categories that have less relevance to community mental health. Substance abuse often complicates these types of disorders. Policymakers can foster empowerment by including consumers in the design, implementation, and monitoring of mental health services and research projects. From a medical point of view, psychiatric diagnoses should be free of stigma. The social dimensions of gender, however, are more problematic. Race and ethnicity are important factors in the recognition of psychiatric disorders and the provision of neuropsychiatric care. As with any large-scale social undertaking, neuropsychiatry is profoundly influenced by the economic system and by cultural issues.
