Sean Patterson, MD

Sean Patterson, MD, is a psychiatrist who specializes in inpatient care and woks at Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital in the adult mood disorders unit. He is also an assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and works with resident education.

“My clinical focus is on helping people who are in an immediate, acute crisis. I work to maintain safety, optimize psychiatric medications, clarify diagnostic questions, and provide psychoeducation and brief therapy to patients and family members,” Dr. Patterson says.

Dr. Patterson treats patients with a broad spectrum of mental health concerns including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, catatonia, and those utilizing interventional services such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and ketamine. He works with a treatment team of social workers, pharmacists, nurses, mental health workers, and medical trainees.

Being hospitalized for a mental health crisis is not easy for patients or their loved ones. Acknowledging that patients are more than how they present to the hospital is an important part of understanding what is best for their care. Dr. Patterson works to integrate each person's long-term goals into their treatment plan and disposition.

Dr. Patterson is active in advocacy work, particularly around topics of mental illness and LGBTQ+ legislation. He works to understand how recent policy changes can affect health outcomes and access to resources for his patients. He also uses journalism as a tool to advocate for LGBTQ+ populations.