Our mission
The College works to secure the best outcomes for people with mental illness, learning difficulties and developmental disorders by promoting excellent mental health services, supporting the prevention of mental illness, training outstanding psychiatrists, promoting quality and research, setting standards and being the voice of psychiatry.
What we do and how
The College is the professional and educational body for psychiatrists in the United Kingdom.
We:
- set standards and promote excellence in psychiatry and mental healthcare
- lead, represent and support psychiatrists
- work with patients, carers and their organisations.
We set standards and promote excellence in psychiatry and mental healthcare
We’re committed to improving the understanding of psychiatry and mental health.
We want there to be a greater understanding of the interaction between mental and physical health and the social and cultural context in which people live.
The College is at the forefront in setting and achieving the highest standards through education, training and research.
We lead the way in developing excellence and promoting best practice in mental health services. We promote research and publish the results in our world-class psychiatric journals.
We lead, represent and support psychiatrists
The College actively promotes psychiatry as a career.
College structures are robust and provide dedicated support to our members and associates.
Nationally and internationally, the College has a vital role in representing the expertise of the psychiatric profession to governments and other agencies.
This is key to promoting best practice in mental health.
We work with patients, carers and their organisations
We collaborate with key players in the mental health field and are champions for improvements in the quality of mental healthcare throughout all sectors of society.
Public education is at the heart of our activities and is an essential component of our website.
As well as running its membership examination (MRCPsych), the College organises scientific and clinical conferences and lectures and continuing professional development activities.
The College publishes books, reports and educational material for professionals and the general public.
It also publishes the British Journal of Psychiatry, BJPsych Open, BJPsych Bulletin, BJPsych Advances and BJPsych International, all of which are now available online.
Our vision
A strong and progressive College that opposes all forms of discrimination and helps its members deliver high-quality person-centred care, for people of all ages, around the world.