Essentials Book 2: Psychiatric, Psychological, and Spiritual Care 

Addressing the full dimensions of distress in serious illness 

This fully updated and expanded edition of Psychiatric, Psychological, and Spiritual Care provides comprehensive, evidence-based guidance on the psychiatric, psychological, spiritual, cultural, and existential dimensions of serious illness. 

This volume equips clinicians to recognize and address distress that extends beyond physical symptoms, including threats to meaning, dignity, identity, and connection that shape patients’ experiences and decisions. Drawing on current research, nationally recognized frameworks, and practical clinical tools, this book translates complex psychosocial and spiritual care into actionable strategies for use at the bedside, across interdisciplinary teams, and throughout the continuum of care. 

New in This Edition 

• Expanded focus on cultural competence, intersectionality, and health equity, including the ADDRESSING Model 
• Updated psychiatric guidance for depression, anxiety, delirium, insomnia, dementia, grief, PTSD, and serious mental illness 
• New and expanded content on substance use disorders, including OUD, harm reduction approaches, and medication assisted treatment 
• Enhanced spiritual care guidance with updated assessment tools (FACIT‑Sp, FICA) and intervention strategies 
• New and expanded clinical algorithms and decision aids to support real‑world practice 

How This Book Strengthens Your Clinical Practice 

• Assess psychological, psychiatric, spiritual, and existential suffering as part of comprehensive and collaborative serious‑illness care.  
• Elicit patient values and align care plans with goals, meaning, and priorities.  
• Address complex nonphysical symptoms with confidence.  
• Integrate dignity‑conserving, meaning centered, and culturally responsive care into routine clinical practice.  

Authored and Edited by Leaders in the Field 
Written and reviewed by nationally recognized experts in hospice and palliative medicine, psychiatry, psychology, social work, and spiritual care, this volume delivers credible, interdisciplinary guidance grounded in both evidence and clinical experience. 

Part of the AAHPM Essential Practices in Hospice and Palliative Medicine Series 
A trusted, evidence-based resource for hospice and palliative clinicians. 

Explore the full 9-book series: Essential Practices in Hospice and Palliative Medicine (Full Book Set)