19.4 – Mental Health Therapeutic Interventions

Therapeutic Interventions

A therapeutic intervention is an aspect of mental healthcare that aims to address and support various physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral issues in individuals managing a mental health disease or disorder.

Abstinence is the self-governing and a self-enforced restraint from indulging in pleasurable activities, such as addictions.

Addiction/Rehabilitation centres assist with the withdrawal from dependency on substances. The purpose is to enable the patient to confront substance dependence and stop substance misuse.

Counselling (1:1, group, family) is a collaborative effort between the counsellor and client. Professional counsellors help clients to identify ones’ goals and potential options/solutions to problems which have caused emotional turmoil, seeking to improve coping skills and promote behavioural change to achieve optimal mental health (American Counseling Association, 2022).

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure occasionally used for cases of prolonged severe depression. This controversial treatment/therapy involves the placement of electrodes on one or both sides of a patient’s head. The patient receives a muscle relaxant and anaesthesia. A low-level voltage is triggered and creates a convulsive seizure. It remains controversial, as critics of this treatment state that it is not a more effective way to treat severe depression than using drugs (Van Dierman et al., 2020).

Harm reduction philosophy is ‘an evidence-based, client-centred approach that helps to reduce the health or social harms associated with addiction or substance use without requiring people who use substances to abstain or stop (CMHA, 2022). For more information, go to Canadian Mental Health Association – Harm Reduction website [New Tab]. A Needle Exchange Program (NEP) is one method of harm reduction. NEPs, also known as syringe services programs or needle-syringe programs, provide new and sterile syringes to drug users to reduce the risk of spreading communicable diseases. Some programs provide medical treatment for infectious diseases, substance use disorder treatment referrals, and naloxone treatment. For more information, about the American Additions Centers – Needle Exchange Programs website.

Pharmacology

As a therapeutic intervention a psychiatrist may prescribe psychotropic medications to manage a client’s symptoms. Psychotropic medications are not a cure, however, they are more effective when combined with psychotherapy. Medications are often classified based on their action in the body. A psychiatrist may prescribe medications from a several different classifications to treat mental health conditions.

This list provides examples of medication classifications used in psychiatric medicine as well as the activity of the medication.

• neuroleptic to control hallucinations or delusions
• antidepressant: pertaining to stopping depression
• anti-anxiety: against anxiety
• anti-psychotic: pertaining to against psychosis
• stimulants: pertaining to stimulate; help manage unorganized behaviour
• mood-stabilizer help regulate extreme emotions

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a method of treating mental disorders using psychological techniques instead of physical methods. It can involve talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, and role-playing. It can include different types of psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, group therapy, play therapy, art therapy, hypnosis, and psychoanalysis (AMA, 2022).

Attribution

This page “Mental Health Therapeutic Interventions” by Connie Stevens Marie Rutherford is licensed under CC BY 4.0.