In summary, numerous variables can affect the patient’s brain between visits, influencing his or her mental status. The ever-changing brain can be challenging to assess, especially in brief 15- to 20-minute follow-up sessions that have become more common in psychiatry. Perhaps patients should help their psychiatrists or nurse practitioners by completing a checklist with all the above variables, either online on the day of their appointment or on a form in the waiting room immediately prior to the visit. This might also increase patients’ awareness of the importance of participating in monitoring themselves.
And finally, let’s not forget that the psychiatrist’s brain also changes continuously due to his or her own daily experiences, stresses, diet, lifestyle, medical illness, or medications. Thus, at every psychiatric session, the brains of both patient and psychiatrist are very different from the previous encounter!
To comment on this editorial or other topics of interest: henry.nasrallah@currentpsychiatry.com.