Commentary: Psychiatric advance directives as tools for enhancing treatment of the mentally ill.
In this issue of the Journal, Swanson et al. explore the demand for and utilization of psychiatric advance directives (PADs), and discuss some of the barriers to their greater acceptance. This author suggests that PADs may be more widely accepted and utilized if they are viewed as tools for maximizing individual autonomy, with an emphasis on optimizing rather than merely restricting care.
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. rschouten@partners.org
Ronald
R
Schouten
D016223:Advance Directives; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011570:Psychiatry; D014481:United States