Contributions of a relational psychoanalytic approach to dealing with the nonadherent psychiatric patient

Abstract

Nonadherence to medication is one of the great challenges facing any psychiatrist today. The main focus of this article is to illustrate the contributions of a relational psychoanalytic approach to dealing with the nonadherent psychiatric patient. Special emphasis is given to the importance of recognizing the therapist as an active subject and taking responsibility over the negative aspects of the therapist. A clinical vignette is presented, by which these points are illustrated and defined.