Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
Interpretive flexibility: why doesn't insight incite controversy in mental health law?
Kate Diesfeld1, Stefan Sjöström
1National Centre for Health and Social Ethics, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1020, New Zealand. kate.diesfeld@aut.ac.nz
Abstract:
This research investigates how the term "insight" was employed in 25 decisions from mental health review proceedings in Victoria, Australia. The application of insight appears problematic in these decisions. First, there is little clarification of its meaning. Second, the logic applied when insight is related to compliance is often unclear. Third, there are frequent allusions to an implicit and undefined scale of insight, offering the appearance of objectivity. We have analysed insight as an 'interpretive resource', focusing on its various functions in the complex social context of commitment hearings and with a view to its therapeutic jurisprudence implications. The variable application of insight-its interpretive flexibility-appears useful in addressing complex problems faced by review boards. Hence, a key function of insight is to bridge between legal and clinical discourses. Insight is also a convenient means to avoid complicated debates regarding the person's credibility. By analysing insight in Victoria, we hope to contribute to better theoretical understanding of decision-making patterns in mental health law in general.
Related Concept Videos
Introspection
Psychosurgery
Historical Development of Psychosurgery
In the 1930s, Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz introduced a surgical procedure designed...
Community Based Intervention
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Humanistic Psychology
This approach...
Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare: