Psychiatric sub-specialization in Africa--introduction to a series.

Psychiatrists have long had practices that focus on particular areas within the field, and sub-specialty journals have published research from these areas for some time. Nevertheless, the formal literature on psychiatric sub-specialization is remarkably sparse. A recent edition of World Psychiatry on the future of psychiatry, for example, had only a few words on sub-specialization. Nevertheless, a number of articles from high income countries have focused attention on the value of developing sub-specialties or even sub-sub-specialties, including forensic psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and liaison psychiatry.