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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Jul 20.
Published in final edited form as: Psychiatry. 2013 Fall;76(3):203–209. doi: 10.1521/psyc.2013.76.3.203

Table 1. Outline of Motivational Pharmacotherapy sessions.

1. Welcome patient to session

  1. Affirm patient's commitment to getting better

  2. Explain structure for session

2. Discuss patient's state/symptoms

  1. Assess symptoms/side effects primarily using open-ended questions and reflections

  2. Improvements in state are reflected and explored to elicit more change talk

3. Assess treatment adherence

  1. Focus on adherence successes to build self-efficacy

  2. Collaboratively identify ways of overcoming obstacles to adherence

4a*. Elicit change talk and commitment language about overcoming depression and starting antidepressant therapy (early sessions)

  1. Goals and values card sort (Week 0)

  2. Confidence ruler/Story of overcoming obstacles (Week 1)

4b*. Elicit and resolve obstacles to treatment (mid-treatment)

  1. Obstacles to adherence bubble sheet (Week 4)

  2. Thoughts about early termination from treatment (Week 8)

5. Review medication dosage and treatment plan

  1. Collaboratively reach decisions about treatment

*

Only conducted during the enhanced sessions on weeks 0, 1, 4, and 8.