Review article

A Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health: How Integrative Psychiatry is Changing Treatment

Mirela Ćelić Ružić

Abstract

Interest in integrative psychiatry has increased considerably in recent years, largely because everyday clinical work shows that mental disorders can rarely be adequately explained through a single level of analysis. Diagnostic categories remain important for communication and treatment planning, but by themselves do not explain why symptoms develop in a particular person, why they persist, or how treatment should best be guided. Integrative psychiatry starts from the assumption that clinical presentations emerge from the interaction of biological processes, subjective experience, behavior, physical health, lifestyle habits, social context and patient values. This narrative review outlines the reasons why such an approach is becoming increasingly relevant in contemporary psychiatry. Particular attention is given to the contribution of the philosophy of psychiatry, enactive and embodied perspectives, personalized treatment, collaborative care, and lifestyle-oriented interventions. The paper also discusses the close relationship between mental and physical illness, the role of complementary and integrative methods when supported by an adequate level of evidence, and the challenges of implementing a comprehensive model within real-world health systems. In this review, integrative psychiatry is presented not as a substitute for standard psychiatric practice, but as its extension toward a more precise, individualized and clinically applicable care model.

Keywords

integrative psychiatry, personalized treatment, collaborative care, lifestyle, mental and physical health

Hrčak ID:

349500

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/349500

Publication date:

10.7.2026.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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