Why Are Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs) Important for Mental Health Care?

Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs) play a crucial role in reducing psychiatric hospitalizations and improving long-term care outcomes. Research has shown that PADs can help minimize the number of psychiatric hospital admissions a person experiences. But how do they work?

Acute care facilities, such as psychiatric hospitals, are designed to stabilize patients quickly. During this phase, individuals may be prescribed higher doses of medication or more potent drugs, which are intended for short-term stabilization. However, when transitioning out of acute care and into a maintenance phase, patients often need to switch medications to find more sustainable, long-term solutions.

This medication transition period is often the most unstable and challenging for patients, leading to potential setbacks or relapses. Psychiatric Advance Directives allow patients to document their preferences for medications and treatments ahead of time. This empowers care teams to prescribe medications that align with the patient's long-term preferences and tolerability, reducing unnecessary medication changes and providing a more stable treatment plan.

In summary, PADs help to reduce the risk of medication-related instability during transitions, improve treatment adherence, and ultimately contribute to better mental health outcomes by promoting continuity of care and empowering patients in their treatment choices.