
Department of Psychological Medicine, Imperial College London, St Dunstans Road, London W6 8RP, UK, email: p.tyrer{at}imperial.ac.uk
P.T. is the Lead of the North London Hub of the Mental Health Research Network in England, an organisation devoted to improving research in mental health services in the National Health Service.
See special article, pp.
269–272, this
issue.
A reassessment of the reasons for psychiatrists being reluctant to do research is made. It is suggested that a combination of inspiration and scepticism is required to both be a good researcher as well as a good clinician. These are seldom to be found in one individual but usually can be found if the trainee is prepared to scour. The benefits of success are many, and a long and productive life in clinical practice is likely with a positive attitude to research, not just to keep up with developments in an informed way but to prevent the ossifying process of clinical dogmatism from developing.
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