Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 May;7(5):19-26.

Core ethical questions: what do you do when your obligations as a psychiatrist conflict with ethics?

Edmund Howe  1
Affiliations

Core ethical questions: what do you do when your obligations as a psychiatrist conflict with ethics?

Edmund Howe. Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2010 May.

Abstract

Psychiatrists face many difficult ethical decisions in which they must exercise their discretion. In the most difficult decisions they confront, there are significant "harms," regardless of what they choose. The best they can do in these instance is to be as acutely aware of the most important pros and cons as they can. This article will discuss such pros and cons in regard to, particularly, informing patients when they may be dangerous to themselves or others, have dementia, and have genetic illness. This article will also discuss giving moral weight to the psychiatrist's own interests when making these ethical decisions.

Keywords: Informing patients; child abuse; dangerousness; dementia; genetics; reporting; suicide; unprofessional conduct; warning.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Weinstein R, Vari G, Leong GB, Silva JA. Back to the past in California: a temporary retreat to a Tarasoff duty to warn. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2006;34:523–528. - PubMed
    1. Joseph DI, Onek J, Goldstein MM. Confidentiality. In: Bloch S, Green SA, editors. Psychiatric Ethics. New York, NY: Oxford; 2009. pp. 177–210.
    1. McConnell T. Confidentiality and the law. J Med Ethics. 1994;20:47–49. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gutheil TG. Ethics and forensic psychiatry. In: Bloch S, Green SA, editors. Psychiatric Ethics. New York, NY: Oxford; 2009. pp. 435–452. at 437.
    1. Chenneville T. Tarasoff and HIV: some considerations for therapists. Focus. 2007;22:5–8. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources