Mission
The mission of the American Psychiatric Association is to:
- promote the highest quality care for individuals with mental illness, including substance use disorders, and their families
- promote psychiatric education and research
- advance and represent the profession of psychiatry
- serve the professional needs of its membership
Values
- Best standards of clinical practice
- Highest ethical standards of professional conduct
- Prevention, access, care and sensitivity for patients and compassion for their families
- Patient-focused treatment decisions
- Scientifically established principles of treatment
- Advocacy for patients
- Leadership
- Lifelong professional learning
- Collegial support
- Respect for diverse views and pluralism within the field and the association
- Respect for other health professionals
Goals
- To promote the rights and best interests of patients and those actually or potentially making use of psychiatric services for mental illness, including substance use disorders.
- To improve access to and quality of psychiatric services.
- To improve research into all aspects of mental illness, including causes, prevention, and treatment of psychiatric disorders.
- To improve psychiatric education and training.
- To promote optimal conditions for practice and career satisfaction.
- To foster collaboration among all who are concerned with medical, psychological, socio-cultural and legal aspects of mental health and illness.
- To improve functioning of the APA in the service of its mission.
