[The year 2002 in Polish psychiatry].

The aim of this paper is a reflection upon the most important issues in Polish psychiatry in 2002. In the mental health care development, an unfavorable legal regulation on the profession of the psychologist was passed and another change in health care financing in Poland. The role of Polish psychiatrists in international actions inspired by the World Psychiatric Association could be noted, especially in the de-stigmatising "Open the doors", as well as the stance towards 2nd generation antipsychotics. A positive growing interest and tendency in post-graduate psychiatric training was noticed, especially constant training. The publication of a new, large clinical textbook on psychiatry was noted, leading the probable direction of post-graduate training and development of scientific research. Special attention was drawn to the return of neuro-surgical interventions in treatment resistant obsessive-compulsive disorders, namely the nonstandard position of stereotactic operations on the limbic system in these disorders. Such a position is the result of insufficient scientific documentation on the effectiveness of such procedures and weakly documented theoretical bases.