Physical health and mental health are inextricably linked together. Moreover, as the biology of mental illnesses is gradually - and inexorably - being elucidated, the overlap between physical illnesses and mental illnesses has become even more apparent. These observations 'set the stage' for readers of this issue of Psychiatric Clinics in which a variety of articles are presented from all aspects of medicine - from emergency mental health to how burn patients heal and cope with the physical and mental outcomes, to coverage of issues such as prolonged stay in the intensive care unit, comorbidities in the elderly, food allergies, depression and other common primary care conditions, and childhood diabetes. A primer on interviewing techniques and role play is presented along with the role of nurses who cross both mental and physical aspects of healthcare and the essential role of a supportive family to the interdiscipinary team .