Primary care behavioral health: ethical issues in military settings

The rapid expansion of integrated behavioral health care in primary care medical settings introduces a number of ethical challenges faced by teams of health professionals from different disciplines. As military health care settings have increasingly implemented primary care behavioral health models of service delivery, distinct ethical dilemmas have emerged. This article examines two of these ethical issues, competence and multiple relationships, through presentation of clinical scenarios in military integrated primary care settings. Relevant professional ethical guidelines for psychologists, social workers, and physicians are examined. Recommendations for the ethical practice of primary care behavioral health, as well as suggestions for future development of professional ethical guidelines, are discussed.