AAPL Advocacy Through Education

This article first appeared in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. Cheryl D. Wills, Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online Jun 2019, 47 (2) 150-154; DOI: 10.29158/JAAPL.003848-19

There’s a time for debate and a time for consensus. There’s a time for advocacy and time for first principles.

Hon. Judge Anthony Kennedy

Advocacy is important in psychiatric practice. In the United States, the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires general psychiatry residents to become proficient in advocacy by promoting emotional wellness, obviating mental disorders, and supporting “quality patient care and optimal patient care systems” before they complete training (Ref. 2, pp 16–17). Residents can refine their advocacy skills by educating patients and their families about psychiatric disorders, treatment, and relapse prevention; collaborating to reduce barriers to patients’ accessing health care services; and encouraging others to engage in activities that are conducive to achieving a reasonable work-life balance.

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