Mental Health Team Communication

Mental health treatment teams, also known as interdisciplinary treatment teams, consist of professionals from different disciplines working together to facilitate mental health treatment. Good communication among team members is vital to the success of the treatment.

Challenges

• Multidisciplinary treatment teams can include doctors, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, psychologists and case managers. Communication among such a range of disciplines can be challenging. Differences in professional status among team members can lead to favoritism or friction, hamper communication and weaken team effectiveness.

Benefits

• Effective mental health team communication can have a direct and positive impact on patient care, and plays a vital role in successful treatment. In the May 2007 issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing, Dr. Alan Simpson asserts that mutual respect is crucial for a team to communicate effectively, and that disrespect may lead to a poor patient prognosis.

Team Spirit

• Building camaraderie with team meetings also may help improve communication and patient prognosis. Other aids to good communication include having clear team goals, and maintaining good working relationships across disciplines.