HAS MEDICINE LOST ITS MIND?

The answer is a convincing “yes,” medicine has lost its mind. But there is hope! Using data from important clinical studies and remarkable stories from his practice, Dr. Smith lays out the lament, a call to action, and a path to progress. This is an important and thought-provoking assessment and plan for anyone interested in how our mental health crisis became so bad and how we can solve it.

This volume offers the public a comprehensive understanding of the staggering neglect of the mental wellbeing of our nation’s people, and an equally comprehensive prescription for solving this shortfall. Like a good systems thinker, he ties it all together, from training to policymaking; from conversing with patients to adopting new paradigms of health. Dr. Smith brings to bear formidable knowledge, wisdom, and judgment, fifty years in the making, and offers us a coherent way forward—as citizens, patients, activists, clinicians, educators, and policymakers. I commend this timely volume to anyone who cares about the future of medicine, healthcare, or the health of the people in this nation.

In this compelling book, Robert C. Smith, an internist and prominent figure in biopsychosocial medicine, advocates for transformative reform in the healthcare system. He emphasizes the need to integrate biopsychosocial principles into patient care to revive the true spirit of medicine. Dr. Smith shares his experiences and challenges during his medical training, which highlighted the emotional consequences of feeling that he provided inadequate support for his patients, and this prompted him to rethink his approach to care. This thoughtful and well-written book will help the public to understand the current healthcare crisis and the need for federal intervention to correct it.