Theory can be relevant: an overview of bioethics for the practicing child and adolescent psychiatrist

Familiarity with medical ethical theory and the history of bioethics is helpful for the understanding of the current state of bioethics, as well as possible future developments that will affect physicians and patients alike. This article reviews major schools of thought in bioethics and their relevance to clinical work with children, adolescents, and families. Child and adolescent psychiatrists need to be familiar with major ethical issues in general medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics, in addition to those controversies that are more specific to their subspecialty. Employing a systematic approach for the identification and analysis of ethical concerns, such as the Four Topics Model of Jonsen and colleagues, improves child and adolescent psychiatrists' confidence that they are aware of ethical quandaries in practice and are addressing these issues in a transparent, well-informed manner.