What is it about?
Dr. Mark Rapaport, recently retired Editor of the Journal FOCUS, and president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association, invited me to write this commentary. Having spent my entire career in a public-academic institution, I have been very aware of the many barriers our patients face in trying to access necessary services. This problem has become even more acute with recent political and economic realities. I believe psychiatrists need to be active in helping our patients in multiple spheres and not stay confined to our more "traditional roles".
Featured Image
Why is it important?
Many psychiatrists already are active in advocating for our patients both in their individual work and on a more public/national level. I believe it is important for trainees to learn aspects of advocacy and incorporate them into their professional identities. Working collaboratively with other mental health clinicians and patients and their families is the most effective way to provide our patients with the care they need.
Perspectives
Having witnessed the struggle that many patients have in managing multiple aspects of their lives, I have become more aware that we need to have a broader view of what the role of a psychiatrist is, particularly in working with patients having serious mental illness.
Ira Lesser
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Advocacy With and For Our Patients, FOCUS The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry, July 2025, American Psychiatric Association,
DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.20250018.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
