Long-acting injections of antipsychotic medication (or depots) were developed specifically to promote treatment adherence and are a valuable option for maintenance medication in psychotic illnesses. Approximately 40–60% of patients with schizophrenia are partially or totally non-adherent to their antipsychotic regimen, but only 30% or less are prescribed a long-acting injection. The use of such injections has declined in recent years after the introduction of second-generation (atypical) oral antipsychotic drugs. Research shows that possible reasons for this decline include concerns that may be based on suboptimal knowledge, as well as an erroneous assumption that one's own patient group is more adherent than those of one's colleagues. Research on attitudes has also revealed that psychiatrists feel that long-acting injections have an ‘image’ problem. This editorial addresses the gaps in knowledge and behaviour associated with possible underutilisation of these formulations, highlighting the role of stigma and the need for more research.

Darwin's On the Origin of Species was published 150 years ago, but evolution is just now being recognised as the missing half of a truly biological psychiatry. The general framework offered by an evolutionary perspective may be as valuable as its specific applications.

In the revision process leading up to DSM–V and ICD–11, it is important to highlight both similarities and differences between the two classifications. Where irreconcilable conceptual differences are involved, these should be stated in a manner inviting future research to elucidate the advantages and disadvantages of alternative concepts or definitions. Eventually, both DSM–V and ICD–11 will need to be assessed against a set of benchmarks of validity and utility.

Psychiatric treatment can enhance human morality. It can promote the emergence of moral motives and intentions, aid in the acquisition of skills essential to moral action, and help to develop the ability to apply moral understanding and skills in particular circumstances. Good psychiatric practice demands an honest appraisal of its moral dimension.

Antipsychotics in depot (or ‘long-acting injection’, LAI) form are shown in this supplement to be a significant component of clinical practice. They are comparatively underresearched, which may reflect their frequent use witih poorly adherent patients. This supplement clearly demonstrates the need for that research, highlighting the variations in dosing and the absence of established, specific guidelines in their use. Traditional evidence-based approaches to systematic reviews are of limited utility in this area so this supplement's blending of experimental trials with observational research is particularly appropriate and effective. After a brief decline in their use with the introduction of oral atypical antipsychotics, LAIs are regaining a central position in the care of long-term psychosis. This comprehensive review of current knowledge makes a timely contribution.

Scientific arguments showing ‘how the world is’ are fundamentally different from political assertions about ‘how the world should be’. Ideologically motivated political attacks can hamper our understanding of mental disorders by preventing academics from pursuing research in contentious areas. Evidence should be countered by better evidence, not by shooting the messenger.

Over the past 2 years genome-wide association studies have made major contributions to understanding the genetic architecture of many common human diseases. This editorial outlines the development of such studies in psychiatry and highlights the opportunities for advancing understanding of the biological underpinnings and nosological structure of psychiatric disorders.

Many prenatal risk factors are known to have adverse consequences on fetal development and there is increasing interest in effects on the mental health of offspring. However, associations with prenatal risk factors may arise because of postnatal risk or through confounders, including inherited ones. As a result, caution is required in assuming causation.

This November we celebrated the sesquicentennial of the Origin of Species, a landmark in the history of biology. Yet Darwin's chief contribution to psychiatry appears in The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872), where he describes ‘the grief muscles’, later identified as a sign of melancholic illness.

Denis Reed was born in Bristol in 1917. Despite suffering ill-health in youth, he had a happy boyhood. He enrolled at London's Royal College of Art in 1938 but his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II and his subsequent enlistment in the British Army. Reed eventually qualified in 1948 and the Principal of the College, P.H. Jowett, remarked, ‘His painting is always good in colour and interesting in design.’ Denis Reed's work was displayed in many galleries during the post-War years. He became a member of the Royal West of England Academy and was appointed Senior Lecturer in Painting at Loughborough College of Art. Increasingly severe bouts of depression forced him to relinquish this post and he became a resident at Glenside Psychiatric Hospital in Bristol during the 1950s and 1960s.

This editorial summarises what is known about accelerating the transfer of discoveries in the health sciences into implementation in routine clinical practice. Three phases are described: adoption in principle, early implementation, and persistence of implementation. Facilitators and barriers to the implementation across these phases are discussed.

Genetic testing for risk of depression requires a reconsideration of ethical issues in genetics and how they manifest in psychiatric practice. A precautionary approach is advocated in that there should be limits on the use of the 5-HTT genetic test until its clinical utility and broader social impact are better understood.