A Primer on Integral Theory and Its Application to Mental HealthCare

Contemporary psychiatry has become increasingly focused on biological treatments.Many critics claim that the current paradigm of psychiatry has failed to addressthe escalating mental health-care needs of our communities and may even becontributing to psychopathology and the burden of mental illness. This articledescribes the foundations of Integral Theory and proposes that this model offersa framework for developing integral psychiatry and a more effective andcompassionate mental health-care system. An integral model of psychiatry extendsbiopsychosocial approaches and provides the scaffolding for more effectiveapproaches to integrative mental health care. Furthermore, rather than focusingon psychopathology, the Integral theory model describes the emergence of humanconsciousness and supports a mental health-care system that addresses mentalillness but also promotes human flourishing.