Sex, lies and training programs: the ethics of consensual sexual relationships between psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this paper is to chart the ethical territory surrounding the issue of consensual sexual relationships between psychiatrists and doctors training in psychiatry.

Method: The arguments for and against the prohibition of such relationships are critically examined both in general and in a number of specific circumstances.

Results: There should not be a general prohibition against such relationships, but a prohibition should apply in certain special circumstances. Such circumstances include occasions when the psychiatrist is currently supervising the trainee, when a particular psychiatrist has repeated sexual relationships with trainees and when a group of psychiatrists voluntarily pledge to abstain from such relationships.

Conclusions: Institutions involved in psychiatric training should develop guidelines for dealing with such relationships, adopting a generally permissive attitude toward them with clear exceptions in special cases.