Where have I come from?': Harbouring knowledge of the past provides crucial context for ECPs in bridging to a stronger, safer future.

Abstract

Background: From enlightenment via Emil Kraepelin through to institutionalisation and digitalisation - a consideration of ethical quandaries, scientific advancements and a profession grappling with its mandate and identity. Objective(s): Presenting early-career psychiatrists (ECPs) with a forensic psychiatrist's perspective on the history of psychiatry. Method(s): An informative presentation by the speaker. Finding(s): Connecting narratives in psychiatry from past to now guides us as ECPs in innovating towards a more evidence-based, ethically sound, patient-focused future for psychiatry. Conclusion(s): ECPs cannot hope to lead the progression of the profession through innovation if we are not aware of the legacy of the past.