Psychiatric Treatment of Medical Colleagues and Their Families: Potential Risks

Clinicians treating "very important persons" face potential problems that can negatively impact the quality of care they provide. Mental health professionals face similar pressures, particularly when asked to treat a particular kind of patient who is a very important person: medical colleagues or their family members. The authors present 3 cases that exemplify possible risks associated with the psychiatric treatment of these individuals, including negative effects on the physician-patient relationship, lapses in patient confidentiality, and violations of medical ethics. Preventive and mitigative steps to avoid these pitfalls are discussed. Awareness of these issues when treating fellow physicians or their family members is an important consideration for any mental health clinician.