Dr Alastair Santhouse

At what point does a low mood tip over into depression? When does a distressing experience qualify as trauma? As the conversation around mental health has moved from the consulting room to the public arena, so the concept of normal is shifting. Today, we are seeing an unprecedented rise in diagnosable conditions, in waiting lists, in diagnoses, and in medication. Yet, are we really less psychologically healthy than previous generations? Drawing on his decades of clinical experience, consultant neuropsychiatrist Dr Alastair Santhouse explored the ramifications highlighted by his new research into this climate of diagnosis.

Dr Santhouse has worked as a psychiatrist for 30 years. His current post is as a Consultant Neuropsychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital, London. He treats a range of mental health problems, including those that present to a general hospital, such as the mental health consequences of physical disease, neuropsychiatric conditions, persistent physical symptoms as well as more typical mental health presentations, such as depression, anxiety disorders, OCD and adjustment disorders.