Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Understanding The Personal And Clinical Utility Of Psychiatric Advance Directives: A Qualitative Perspective, Mimi M. Kim, Richard A. Van Dorn, Anna M. Scheyett, Eric E. Elbogen, Jeffrey W. Swanson, Marvin S. Swartz, Laura A. Mcdaniel

Faculty and Staff Publications

Psychiatric advance directives (PADs) are legal tools that allow competent individuals to declare preferences for future mental health treatment when they may not be capable of doing so as a result of a psychiatric crisis. PADs allow individuals to maintain self–determination during times when they are most vulnerable to loss of autonomy and in need of assistance to make their preferences known and honored. This article describes the content of twenty–eight open–ended, semi–structured qualitative interviews of adults with PADs who have experienced psychiatric crises. The qualitative analysis revealed three major themes from the interviews: (1) PADs as tools for empowerment …