Shared decision making in mental health: the importance for current clinical practice

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Health Services Research
• Decision Science

Background:

• Shared decision making (SDM) is increasingly vital in mental health service delivery.
• The recovery paradigm emphasizes patient involvement in treatment decisions.
• Understanding the decision-making process in psychiatry is essential for effective care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature on shared decision making in psychiatric treatment.
• To identify barriers to shared decision making in clinical practice.
• To inform the understanding of decision-making processes regarding psychiatric treatments.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of published English-language articles was conducted.
• Literature search and article selection were performed.
• 18 relevant articles were included in the final review.

Main Results:

• Identified themes include models of psychiatric care, patient benefits, and existing barriers.
• A significant lack of published studies specifically addressing antipsychotic medications was noted.
• The review highlighted the need for better understanding of decision-making bases in psychiatric treatments.

Conclusions:

• Shared decision making is fundamental to the recovery model in mental health.
• Further research is required to elucidate the basis of psychiatric treatment decisions.
• Discrete choice experiments could aid in developing tools to support SDM in psychiatry.