A palliative care approach in psychiatry: clinical implications
Abstract Background Traditionally, palliative care has focused on patients suffering from life-threatening somatic diseases such as cancer or progressive neurological disorders. In contrast, despite the often chronic, severely disabling, and potentially life-threatening nature of psychiatric disorde...
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doaj-f4806e90626247aab782a36f54f530362020-11-25T03:28:26ZengBMCBMC Medical Ethics1472-69392020-04-012111810.1186/s12910-020-00472-8A palliative care approach in psychiatry: clinical implicationsMattias Strand0Manne Sjöstrand1Anna Lindblad2Stockholm Centre for Eating DisordersStockholm Centre for Healthcare Ethics, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and EthicsStockholm Centre for Healthcare Ethics, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and EthicsAbstract Background Traditionally, palliative care has focused on patients suffering from life-threatening somatic diseases such as cancer or progressive neurological disorders. In contrast, despite the often chronic, severely disabling, and potentially life-threatening nature of psychiatric disorders, there are neither palliative care units nor clinical guidelines on palliative measures for patients in psychiatry. Main text This paper contributes to the growing literature on a palliative approach in psychiatry and is based on the assumption that a change of perspective from a curative to a palliative approach could help promote patient-centeredness and increase quality of life for severely ill patients in psychiatry as well as in somatic medicine. To exemplify this, we offer three different clinical scenarios: severe and enduring anorexia nervosa, treatment-refractory schizophrenia, and chronic suicidality and persistent self-injury in borderline personality disorder. Conclusion We emphasize that many typical interventions for treatment-refractory psychiatric disorders may indeed be of a palliative nature. Furthermore, introducing traditional features of palliative care, e.g. so-called goals of care conversations, could aid even further in ensuring that caregivers, patients, and families agree on which treatment goals are to be prioritized in order to optimize quality of life in spite of severe, persistent mental disorder.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12910-020-00472-8Palliative carePsychiatrySchizophreniaAnorexia nervosaBorderline personality disorderRecovery |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Mattias Strand Manne Sjöstrand Anna Lindblad |
spellingShingle |
Mattias Strand Manne Sjöstrand Anna Lindblad A palliative care approach in psychiatry: clinical implications BMC Medical Ethics Palliative care Psychiatry Schizophrenia Anorexia nervosa Borderline personality disorder Recovery |
author_facet |
Mattias Strand Manne Sjöstrand Anna Lindblad |
author_sort |
Mattias Strand |
title |
A palliative care approach in psychiatry: clinical implications |
title_short |
A palliative care approach in psychiatry: clinical implications |
title_full |
A palliative care approach in psychiatry: clinical implications |
title_fullStr |
A palliative care approach in psychiatry: clinical implications |
title_full_unstemmed |
A palliative care approach in psychiatry: clinical implications |
title_sort |
palliative care approach in psychiatry: clinical implications |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
BMC Medical Ethics |
issn |
1472-6939 |
publishDate |
2020-04-01 |
description |
Abstract Background Traditionally, palliative care has focused on patients suffering from life-threatening somatic diseases such as cancer or progressive neurological disorders. In contrast, despite the often chronic, severely disabling, and potentially life-threatening nature of psychiatric disorders, there are neither palliative care units nor clinical guidelines on palliative measures for patients in psychiatry. Main text This paper contributes to the growing literature on a palliative approach in psychiatry and is based on the assumption that a change of perspective from a curative to a palliative approach could help promote patient-centeredness and increase quality of life for severely ill patients in psychiatry as well as in somatic medicine. To exemplify this, we offer three different clinical scenarios: severe and enduring anorexia nervosa, treatment-refractory schizophrenia, and chronic suicidality and persistent self-injury in borderline personality disorder. Conclusion We emphasize that many typical interventions for treatment-refractory psychiatric disorders may indeed be of a palliative nature. Furthermore, introducing traditional features of palliative care, e.g. so-called goals of care conversations, could aid even further in ensuring that caregivers, patients, and families agree on which treatment goals are to be prioritized in order to optimize quality of life in spite of severe, persistent mental disorder. |
topic |
Palliative care Psychiatry Schizophrenia Anorexia nervosa Borderline personality disorder Recovery |
url |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12910-020-00472-8 |
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