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Perceptions of ethical problems by forensic psychiatrists
1University of California, Center for Health Sciences, Los Angeles 90024-1700.
The Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Forensic psychiatrists favor including controversial topics and traditional medical ethics in guidelines. They suggest aligning American Academy of Psychiatry and Law (AAPL) guidelines with the American Psychiatric Association (APA) framework for better integration and enforcement.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychiatry
- Medical Ethics
- Professional Guidelines
Background:
- The American Academy of Psychiatry and Law (AAPL) has established ethical guidelines, but some crucial ethical issues remain unaddressed.
- The survey included traditionally "controversial" ethical topics and items from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) ethical framework.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey forensic psychiatrists' opinions on forensic ethical issues.
- To identify areas for improvement and expansion of existing ethical guidelines.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted among two groups of forensic psychiatrists.
- Respondents evaluated "controversial" items and APA ethical framework items regarding their relevance to ethical problems.
Main Results:
- All surveyed APA ethical framework items were viewed as addressing ethical problems.
- A majority of respondents considered "controversial" items as relevant ethical problems, suggesting their inclusion in guidelines.
- Respondents favored retaining traditional medical ethical values in forensic practice and showed discrimination regarding death penalty facets.
Conclusions:
- There is a need to incorporate previously "controversial" issues into professional ethical guidelines.
- Aligning AAPL guidelines with the APA framework would facilitate coordination and enforcement through APA local district branches.