Breaking confidentiality survey

Several Israeli laws require therapists to violate confidentiality. Psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and social workers were asked about their decisions to break confidentiality concerning information revealed in psychotherapy. No differences were found in confidentiality between private practice and public services. No differences were found between the three professional groups. Many therapists claim they do not report sensitive information revealed in psychotherapy, and prefer dealing with the information in therapy. Therapists were less inclined to break confidentiality about past (as opposed to present) sexual abuse. Therapists were less inclined to break confidentiality when sexual abuse was revealed in psychotherapy by the abuser than when revealed by the victim.