Breaking the Mold: A New Approach to Psychopharmacology and Treatment Resistance

The landscape of psychiatry is shifting, and with it, the alarming rise of treatment resistance. Various factors contribute to this trend, including the dominance of biomedical psychiatry, the sidelining of psychodynamic and psychosocial factors, and the growing emphasis on electronic medical records over patient-centric care.

However, there is hope. Psychodynamic Psychopharmacology offers a beacon of light, illuminating a new path forward. By integrating research on evidence-based prescribing processes with psychodynamic insights and skills, this approach enhances treatment outcomes for patients who are difficult to treat.

A Deeper Understanding of Treatment Resistance

The first part of this book delves into the evidence base that guides not only what to prescribe but also how. It provides a detailed explanation of psychodynamic psychopharmacology, highlighting its unique emphasis on combining often-neglected psychosocial aspects of medication with biomedical considerations to address treatment resistance.

The Psychodynamics of Treatment Resistance

Part II of the book explores the psychodynamic mechanisms that contribute to pharmacological treatment resistance. It examines scenarios where patients’ ambivalence about their illness, medication, or prescriber manifests in nonadherence, and when medications support a negative identity or are used as replacements for healthy capacities.

Readers will gain essential skills for addressing the psychological and interpersonal dynamics that underpin these scenarios and will be better equipped to overcome obstacles to the healthy use of medications.

Technical Recommendations for Addressing Treatment Resistance

The final section of the book offers detailed, practical advice for addressing pharmacological treatment resistance. It tackles pressing issues such as countertransference-driven irrational prescribing, primitive dynamics like splitting and projective identification, and the overlap between psychopharmacological treatment resistance and the dynamics of treatment nonadherence and nonresponse in integrated and collaborative medical care settings.

By putting the individual patient back at the center of the therapeutic equation, psychodynamic psychopharmacology offers a model that moves beyond compliance and emphasizes the crucial alliance between patient and prescriber. This empowering approach enables patients to take a more active role in their recovery.

Product Details: Published by American Psychiatric Association Publishing, February 10, 2022, Language: English, ISBN: 9781615371525, 9781615374007