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Updated: Oct 31, 2026

Assessment and Communication for People with Disorders of Consciousness
Published on: August 1, 2017
K Duckworth1, V Nair, J K Patel
1Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract:
The novel antipsychotic medications clozapine and olanzapine provide well-documented clinical improvement for some patients with psychosis. We interviewed 15 patients with chronic psychosis who demonstrated significant improvement on these new medications and offer a conceptual framework to organize their narratives. In our conceptual model, our patients' descriptions are divided into three broad areas: sense of self, sense of connection, and sense of purpose. We also highlight the opportunities for psychotherapy with this population.
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