ABSTRACT
This chapter explains why the BATHE technique is so effective. Patients’ experiences with stress, including that related to a medical encounter, are described. In general, there is a relationship between illness and adaptation to life events. Good mental health potentiates physical well-being. Some people are characteristically healthier than others. Drawing from a variety of sources, two central concepts are presented: first, that individuals generally function at a specific level of adaptation and second, that individuals under severe stress, including physical illness, temporarily regress to lower levels of functioning. When individuals are in a state of being overwhelmed, they are unable to function at optimum levels. Social support, which provides information regarding an individual’s basic acceptability and competence, is crucial at this time. The crisis intervention model clarifies the time-limited nature of acute stress. Crises generally resolve within four to six weeks. By providing support, crisis intervention aims to prevent dire consequences, return patients to a premorbid level of functioning, enhance their self-esteem, and expand the range of coping strategies. When the actions of the practitioner make the patient feel competent and connected, patients’ functioning improves.
