Sixth, discussing medical treatment options and risks becomes a more complicated task when patients have psychiatric problems. Such patients may perceive risk and judge options differently from usual, they raise special issues about informed consent and competency, and they may present special needs and stresses in the physician-patient relationship. This article addresses how to approach such treatment discussions within the framework of 3 content areas of the medical interview (medical decision making, informed consent, and the physician-patient relationship) and 2 formal techniques of the interview (exploration and assertion).