Consultation-liaison psychiatry: how far have we come?

This article takes stock of how far the field of consultation-liaison psychiatry has come since its inception in the 20th century. In order to do this, we review its past in terms of its knowledge base in psychosomatic medicine and in terms of its practice at the bedside in the general hospital setting. We also offer a contemporary account of the field and finish with a subjective view of the opportunities and pitfalls faced during the next phase of consultation-liaison psychiatry in the 21st century.