The Overall Diagnosis

Optimal patient care in psychiatry necessitates attention to the treatment relationship and to the patient ’s experience as an individual. The growth of patient-centered medicine has led to an increased appreciation of the importance of the biopsychosocial formulation, the personhood of both the patient and the physician, the autonomy and authority of the patient, and the therapeutic alliance. Patient- centered medicine, developed by the seminal psychoanalytic theorist Michael Balint, has its roots in psychodynamic concepts. A psychodynamic approach to psychopharmacology improves psychiatric prescribing, and guides the psychiatrist in providing brief, limited psychotherapy, similar to that which t he Balints recommended in primary care practice.

Source: The Psychiatric Clinics of North America - April 9, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Elizabeth Weinberg, David Mintz Source Type: research