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Practical psychiatry: On therapeutic equipoise - Principles of a balanced approach to psychiatric treatments

Looi JC 1 , Allison S 2 , Woon L 3 , Bastiampillai T 4

Affiliations 

  • 1 Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, The Australian National University, School of Medicine and Psychology, Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia; and Consortium of Australian-Academic Psychiatrists for Independent Policy and Research Analysis, Canberra, ACT, Australia
  • 2 Consortium of Australian-Academic Psychiatrists for Independent Policy and Research Analysis, Canberra, ACT, Australia; and College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  • 3 Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, The Australian National University, School of Medicine and Psychology, Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia; and Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 4 Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, School of Medicine and Psychology, Canberra Hospital, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia; College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia; and Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
Australas Psychiatry, 2024 Feb;32(1):55-58.
PMID: 37903482 DOI: 10.1177/10398562231211129

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: There are many burgeoning treatments, and a large range of therapeutic options for 21st century psychiatry. This paper briefly comments upon considerations for balancing treatment to suit the patient, their illness, and their milieu.

CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic equipoise, for psychiatric care, is an aspiration rather than a position easily achieved. In day-to-day clinical practice, there will be unexpected demands and barriers that cannot always be accommodated or surmounted. Psychiatrists can work collaboratively with patients, carers, and colleagues in conceptualising and care-planning to avoid extremes of therapeutic hubris and despair, and to adapt evidence-based care more effectively so that it is suited to the patient and their circumstances.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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