We are extremely proud and gratified to present the inaugural issue of our new international palliative care journal, Palliative & Supportive Care (P&SC). P&SC is the first international journal of palliative medicine that focuses on the psychiatric, psychosocial, spiritual, existential, ethical, philosophical, and humanities aspects of palliative care. The journal's aim is to serve as an educational resource for practitioners from a wide array of disciplines engaged in the delivery of care to those with life-threatening illnesses along the entire continuum of care, from diagnosis to the end of life. The journal also seeks to both stimulate and provide a forum for research in the psychiatric, psychosocial, and spiritual components of palliative care.

The origins of this journal come out of a commitment by the editors and editorial board members to expand the scope of the concept of adequate palliative care beyond a focus on pain and physical symptom control, to include the psychiatric, psychosocial, existential, and spiritual domains of care. The specialty of palliative medicine has grown and developed very rapidly in the last decade. This growth has taken place on an international level and has included multiple disciplines. There has been a quiet revolution in standards of care for those with life-threatening illnesses and those near the end of life. Initiatives, such as the Project on Death in America, the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, and so many others, have resulted in a worldwide increase in the recognition of the importance of palliative care as well as funding for hospital-based clinical programs and research. A growing number of palliative care practitioners, including a highly motivated and productive group of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and nurses, have become extremely active in the development of palliative medicine as a discipline as administrators, clinicians, and researchers. Mental health and related aspects of palliative care are becoming increasingly recognized as critically important areas that require development and attention. In 2000, the first major textbook on the interface of psychiatry and palliative care was published (The Handbook of Psychiatry in Palliative Medicine, edited by Chochinov and Breitbart). While there are currently more than six major palliative care journals published, many international in scope, P&SC will now be the first and only palliative care journal dedicated primarily to the psychiatric and psychosocial aspects of palliative medicine.

I am proud to have two international co-editors, Dr. Harvey Chochinov of Canada and Dr. David Kissane of Australia. They are not only valued friends and colleagues but are among the foremost pioneers and innovators in the expansion of palliative medicine to include psychiatric and psychosocial concerns. Our editorial board consists of an extraordinary group of distinguished and esteemed international authorities in palliative care and the interface of psychiatry/psychology and palliative medicine. Over 20 countries and every continent are represented on our editorial board, reflecting the truly international nature of our journal. In addition, the editorial board is composed of palliative care practitioners, neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, art therapists, ethicists, philosophers, chaplains, and experts in the humanities. P&SC strives to be a truly multidisciplinary journal that invites the contributions of all disciplines involved in palliative care and that serves the educational needs of an array of disciplines.

The contents of this first issue of P&SC is quite representative of what we hope to publish quarterly over the coming years. The reader will be exposed to both qualitative and quantitative original research covering issues such as the role of spirituality in end of life care, scale development, symptom assessment, pharmacotherapy trials, and epidemiological surveys of psychological symptom prevalence. In addition, there are essays/personal reflections from clinicians and educators, as well as case reports/reviews. P&SC will publish original research, reviews, and case reports on a variety of psychiatric and psychosocial issues in palliative care. Forthcoming issues will include original research papers on psychiatric disorders in the palliative care setting, including depression, delirium, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bereavement. Evolving constructs of particular relevance to the interface of psychiatry/psychology and palliative medicine, such as demoralization, meaning, dignity, desire for hastened death, will to live, suffering, hopelessness, despair at the end of life, post-traumatic growth, and developmental growth at the end of life will be a major focus of this journal. Research and review papers focusing on all the above-mentioned topics, including epidemiology, diagnostic screening, assessment, management, and intervention drug and psychotherapy trials, will also appear. This journal will also be a forum for the discussion of psychosocial and sociocultural matters, such as caregiver burden, health care provider burnout, counseling interventions, the impact of psychosocial factors related to pain and physical symptom control, and communication issues. P&SC recognizes that spiritual, existential, philosophical, and ethical issues are essential elements of supportive and end of life care. The journal therefore will include dialogues on such topics as spiritual assessment and interventions, death with dignity, the role of religion and faith, euthanasia and assisted suicide, surrogate decision making, art and music therapies, complementary therapies, palliative care and the humanities, and the personal reflections of healthcare providers, patients, and families. In short, P&SC is the “care” journal of palliative medicine.

With the joy of seeing the first issue of P&SC published comes the thanks and appreciation for the hard work, contributions, and support of so many who were vital to the process that led to this culmination of our efforts. I would like to thank my co-editors, the members of the editorial board, the staff at Cambridge University Press, and our managing editor, Donna Cassetta. This journal would not be possible without the inspiration and support of two very special individuals, Jimmie Holland, M.D. and Kathleen Foley, M.D. I know my co-editors join me in thanking our supportive (and thankfully understanding) friends and families for their love and devotion. Our deepest gratitude also is extended to our colleagues in New York, Winnipeg, and Melbourne who help make our work possible. Finally, we dedicate our efforts and this journal to the patients who honor us with the privilege of allowing us to care for them at such vulnerable and momentous times in their lives. May we all be blessed with peace, meaning, contentment, humility, and love.