Between the Doctor and the Patient: The Role of the Unconscious in the Relationship

Effective communication between the doctor and the patient is considered the core element within the clinical care setting, as it can contribute to greater understanding of medical information, resulting in a significant level of engagement, awareness, general competence, and empowerment of the individual, which is personally involved in the decision-making process. From this perspective, the doctor-patient relationship may have significant implications on health outcomes and medical care. Here, we begin by providing a brief overview of the main interpersonal communication skills and contexts in which the doctor-patient relationship occurs. We will continue by summarising the most significant changes in the doctor-patient relationship over the last few decades, as well as the main theoretical models implicated. The rest of the chapter will focus on social cognition (a complex set of mental abilities) with reference to the Theory of Mind (ToM) and Empathy, highlighting the human disposition to mentalize and the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others, which is necessary at all stages of the care processes. Finally, we will discuss the brain areas activated and implicated in response to the patients’ needs and possible future directions