Ethics in psychiatry

Abstract EN

This is a review paper for the literature addressing the Subject of Ethics in Psychiatry.

Beside the definition it discusses issues particular to the specialty of Psychiatry such as confidentiality, and doctor patient relationship which has a particular sensitivity in psychiatry because of the issues of transference and counter transference.

The subject of informed consent and patients' rights are sometimes compromised by compulsory admission to hospital against the patients wish, this also involves compromising their rights in the choice of medications and various modalities of treatments.

The subject of code of ethics and making ethical clinical decisions in clinical daily work is also discussed.

Ethics is defined as the underlying principle that infuses laws, social customs and codified rules of professional groups.

At a practical level ethics seeks to determine which actions, relationships and policies ought to be considered right or wrong1.

Ethics is the study of the ultimate problems of human conduct and emanates from the members of the profession who exemplify that which is considered best in the practice.

Morality in this context must rest upon the physician’s subjective and personal realization of what is the proper ethical approach to the physician’s practice.