
- Vol 30 No 6
- Volume 30
- Issue 6
Mindfulness and the Medication Management Visit
Engaging in mindfulness activities either individually or with patients who come to us for brief medication visits can have a profound influence on the therapeutic process.
Poor adherence to psychotropic medication regimens is one of the major roadblocks to improved clinical outcomes. In today’s time-pressed practice of psychiatry, with its emphasis on the brief medication management visit, clinicians and patients often feel rushed and disconnected, which results in a poor therapeutic alliance. When the therapeutic alliance is positive, medication adherence is better and
Integrating mindfulness into our practices may help foster the therapeutic alliance and ultimately medication adherence.
Engaging in mindfulness activities either individually or with patients who come to us for brief medication visits can have a profound influence on the therapeutic process. Mindfulness can help us and our patients settle down and be more present during the session. This can provide the catalyst for more meaningful engagement and better therapeutic outcome. While there is no universally agreed on definition of mindfulness, it is helpful to understand the concept as embracing humanness and accepting one’s body, thoughts, feelings, and emotions without judgment.
The use of mindfulness exercises has become increasingly prominent in both cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic practice. In the primary care setting, mindfulness scores following mindfulness training were found to correlate with improvements in empathy and decreased physician burnout.2 Our mindfulness practice may directly benefit patients as well. In a recent study, researchers looked at the impact on therapeutic outcome after a clinician took part in a brief, 5-minute mindfulness-centered exercise.3 Results indicate that the patients “perceived the sessions as being more effective when their therapists engaged in the exercise prior to the start of the session.”
Introducing patients to mindfulness may provide them with greater awareness, attention, openness, and insight. Emerging evidence has associated the practice of mindfulness meditation with functional changes in default mode network activity and
Opening a medication management visit with a 2-minute mindfulness exercise may improve the efficiency and therapeutic value of even brief medication management visits and may be an impetus for patients to explore deeper meditative practices that can have a profoundly beneficial effect on overall health and wellness. We encourage clinicians to consider the utility of mindfulness in the clinical setting. The practice can have far-reaching effects for clinician and patient both inside the therapy space and beyond.
This article was first posted online on 5/3/2013 and has since been updated.
Further reading
• McCown D, Reibel DK, Micozzi MS.
References:
1. Zeber JE, Copeland LA, Good CB, et al.
2. Krasner MS, Epstein RM, Beckman H, et al. Association of an educational program in mindful communication with burnout, empathy, and attitudes among primary care physicians. JAMA. 2009;302:1284-1293.
3. Dunn R, Callahan JL, Swift JK, Ivanovic M. Effects of pre-session centering for therapists on session presence and effectiveness. Psychother Res. 2013;23:78-85.
4. Brewer JA, Worhunsky PD, Gray JR, et al.
5. Hölzel BK, Lazar SW, Gard T, et al.
Articles in this issue
over 12 years ago
The Family Guide to Mental Health Careover 12 years ago
“PRN” Medication for Alcohol Dependence May Reduce Harmover 12 years ago
No Mortality Increase With Antipsychotics in Prospective Studyover 12 years ago
Epidemiology and Treatment of Substance Use and Abuse in Adolescentsover 12 years ago
Bias Against Schizophrenic Patients Seeking Medical Careover 12 years ago
Pain and Suicideover 12 years ago
Shared Risk Factors in Multiple Psychiatric Disordersover 12 years ago
Genetics and Pharmacogenetics of Schizophrenia: Recent ProgressNewsletter
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