Therapeutic Benefits of Interest-Based Mediation

It is commonly assumed that parties in mediation must be "rational." This case presents evidence that high-functioning psychotic patients can successfully use mediation during lucid periods when sufficient support is available. Patients' new insights about how their behavior affects others suggest that interest-based mediation may have therapeutic value, in addition to its efficacy in resolving conflicts. The case raises questions, which remain to be explored, about the generalization of successful outcomes to other situations.